


The Last Light

by DayLightDove



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Family, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2016-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-16 13:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 48,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4626999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DayLightDove/pseuds/DayLightDove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if the Guardians hadn't listened to MiM and never searched out Jack when he was chosen as a Guardian? That was a big mistake. Pitch had taken out every light upon the globe but one. However, that light happens to be the only immortal child, and that child happens to be the winter spirit Jack Frost. Now it's a race to get to him first and the powerful belief he holds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok this is a story of mine that I've decided to post on here as well as Fanfiction, so you can also find it there.  
> This is going on the belief that Jack was a child when he died and has a light upon the globe. Oh and I'd like to make something clear, Jack died at 14 in this, so yeah. he's like 314 then or whatever.  
> So yeah, I don't own ROTG.  
> Now onto the chapter!

When Pitch had attacked, the Man in the Moon had chosen a new Guardian-Jack Frost. However, the other four, the "Big Four" ignored the choice. They did not seek Jack Frost out, some of them believing he was not fit for the job and most of them believing they did not need help. It was just Pitch Black right? The Boogieman? How hard could he be?

Turns out, they were proven wrong.

He had attacked the Tooth Palace first. All the baby teeth were stolen as well as Tooth's helpers. Pitch had mocked them as the palace crumbled around them. He showed them, or more specifically Sandy, his new trick. His nightmare sand. Then he left, leaving them to wallow in despair.

Then North spoke up, saying why couldn't they collect the teeth? The others agreed but that was their second mistake. While they were out, they had been ambushed by Pitch and his army of nightmares. They fought their way to safety, but sat a cost. The Sandman had been shot with an arrow during the battle, consumed by the dark sand and killed.

This hit the other three to the core. They held a funeral for their friend at the Pole, all the elves and Yetis there as well. The heartbreaking moment only caused more of a downhill from there. The lights upon the globe flickered and died, belief fading all over within seconds. To try to stop this, Bunny had talked about how Easter was here and how it could be used to bring back hope. The other two agreed and they set off to the Warren.

Everything went fine when they were there. Eggs were painted and prepared to leave through the tunnels. And when the time came, they headed through the tunnels, only to be attacked once more. They fought to their best, but they did not have the strength they needed to stop the nightmares from crushing every. Last. Egg. Bunny moaned in despair at the feeling of the children losing hope. He felt his power rapidly decrease as children all over lost their belief. Finding they were unable to do anything more, they fled to the North Pole.

There they sat, staring at the globe. Lights flickered and died, each one a blow to their souls. Minutes passed by and they felt weaker and weaker until only five remained upon the globe. However, that was when Pitch appeared. He mocked and laughed at them as he stomped out the lights.

"Five." Stomp.

"Four." Stomp

"Three!" Stomp.

"Two" Stomp.

"On-" Pitch glared down at the globe. Two lights were still lit, both in the same place Burgess. Growling, he ordered his nightmares to go after one while he took the other.

The Guardians, in their weaker forms, reacted quickly. Gathering what magic they could, they rode the sleigh to Burgess in search of the two lights.

When they had reached the town, a light had already gone out. When they realized this, they knew they had to act quickly so working with what little magic they had left, they searched the area for the other light.

They soon found a trail that led them out of the town and to the forest. The night sky shimmered above them as they watched the moon, hoping to find any sort of signal from their leader. They did. A light shinned down from the moon, leading them towards the direction of a frozen lake.

"Who would be out here?" Bunny asked as his small form hopped a long side the other two.

"No idea." North answered. "But Manny says this is where the light is."

"Hey guys?" Tooth called. "What's that over there?"

They turned to where she was pointing. There, under the moonlight, sat a spirit they were all familiar with. Jack Frost. He was relaxing upon a branch of a tree, staring up at the glowing moon. He seemed confused as to why it was glowing so brightly while Bunny was silently groaning where he stood. After all they did to avoid this kid, here he was as the last light.

North coughed to get his attention and when the winter spirit turned to them he gasped. "You've got to be kidding me."


	2. Chapter 2

"You've got to be kidding me." Jack gasped out when he saw who coughed. There, standing before him were three of the most known spirits in the world looking like they just got hit by a bus. However, the feeling of shock didn't last long before a smile spread across the winter spirit's face.

"You've got to be kidding me!" He repeated this time with a laugh.

Bunny scowled. "Aw shut your bloody mouth Frost!"

Jack just started laughing harder. "What happened to the Easter Kangaroo?! Did he get thrown into a drier and shrunk?! Hahaha!"

"Jack-" Tooth was cut off by the younger spirit.

"So what brings you three to my humble home? Wait let me rephrase that. What did I do to get you three here? Because I can tell you now, what ever happened to you was not my fault. However, whoever did it, I got to give them points for Bunny." He started laughing again as he flew down from his branch to stand before them.

"Jack Frost!" North called in his booming voice, gaining the other's attention. "You must come with us!"

"Why?" Jack drawled. "I mean, it not like it would be hard to get away from you three right now but why? What do you need me for?"

"You are in danger." North said. "You must come with us."

Jack laughed again. "Nice try, but really, why are you here?"

"It is the truth Jack." North said. "You are in grave danger! You need to come with us so you stay safe!"

At this Jack's eyes grew dark and he frowned. "Why do you even care?!" He exclaimed. "You've never cared if I was in danger before now! I don't even think you realized I existed! So why do you care now all of a sudden!? Answer me that!"

At his anger, they all flinched back. However, it wasn't just because of the anger, of the pain found deep in his eyes and voice. It was the feeling of the light flickering. That it went out, but for some reason, didn't stay out.

Jack had seemed to calm down, as his head was now tilted towards the ground. "Tsk. You probably don't care. You're most likely lying and are just going to do something when I go with you or you're doing it for your own benefit. I mean, seriously? Why? Why just suddenly care?" That last part was whispered, as if talking to himself. The three Guardians expressions dropped for a moment, and were about to comment, but Jack's pain filled expression disappeared behind a smile with seconds.

He huffed with a smirk. "Not like it matters. I can easily defend myself against whatever it is you claim is going to attack me. So, you can all just go away now!"

The Guardians stared at him in shock. He just brushed off what had happened like it was nothing. And now he was telling them to just leave? After that!?

Bunny scowled. "I'm afraid we can't leave mate, we need you to come with us so you can stay safe."

Jack just smirked at him. "What? You gonna make me, Cottontail? Hate to break it to you, but you're not your usual Kangaroo size."

Bunny growled. "I swear to MiM, if you weren't the last light I would strangle you!"

Jack's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"So this is the light. I must say, I'm surprised." A silky voice spoke from the shadows. Jack turned to look behind him, only to gasp and stumble backwards in shock at the multitude of golden eyes stared back from the shadows. One came out, Pitch, as he grinned at him.

"Hello Frost."

"Pitch Black." Jack responded, trying to beat down his fear. Ok, so he was defiantly not expecting the Boogieman and an army of black horses. If it was just the Boogieman, sure! He could take him! But he had no idea what the army could do.

"I'm surprised Jack. I didn't know you believed in those foolish idiots is beyond me." He spoke as his eclipse like eyes stared into Jack's sapphire ones. "Oh how fearful you are right now!" Pitch exclaimed at the rush he was feeling. Though the boy tried to squash it down, it was there and pulsing with power. Oh how he wished he didn't have to destroy that light.

Jack swallowed and let out a nervous laugh. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Pitch just grinned. "No, I suppose not. Oh well, goodbye Frost." With that, Jack watched as the horses charged forwards towards him. Eyes widening, Jack slammed his staff down, getting the wind to fling them back just enough to give him enough time to form an ice dome around him and, accidently, the Guardians. They watched as the nightmares circled the dome from the outside, trying to break in.

"I have to get out of here." Jack gritted out as he focused on forming an escape route.

"You're just going to leave us here!?" Bunny exclaimed in anger and horror. Jack scowled as he turned to look back at them.

"Why shouldn't I?! For all I know, you made this happen!" Jack exclaimed, grunting as he had to reinforce the ice when a well-aimed hit struck the dome.

"If you can get us out of here, we promise to explain everything!" Tooth explained, coming closer to the younger spirit.

Jack stood there silently for a minute before groaning. "You better have a good reason." With that he let ice spread out under them and as they fell, he opened up the dome. "Hold on!" With that they shot out of the ice and into the storm of nightmares. The Guardians closed their eyes, believing this to be their end, however, just as they felt the sandy texture of the nightmares hit them, it was gone. Opening their eyes, they saw they were speeding down on an ice track. They could hear Pitch cursing in the distance and Jack was in front of them, creating the path and laughing in joy as if the near death experience had just been some sort of ride. He led them through the trees and sky, making all types of twists and turns until they were over the ocean. The sun was beginning to rise in the direction they were heading, and they stared in wonder at it.

For what felt like hours, Jack led them over the shimmering waters to an unknown destination but far away from Pitch. Just when it felt like they would be stuck upon this track forever, land appeared before their sight. It was a snow covered forest, not surprising, with pine trees surrounding the edge. Jack led them deeply into the forest before stopping and letting them hit the ground, none too kindly. The Guardians groaned as they sat up and when they did, they were met with a frowning Jack Frost whose arms where crossed as he stared down at them.

"Alright, now talk."


	3. Chapter 3

Pitch growled as he stared off in the direction the Guardians and the winter spirit had dashed off to. He turned around, prepared to go back to his lair to plan how to stomp out the immortal child's mysterious belief in those three when he heard a crack under his feet. Looking down, he found frozen nightmare-sand caused from the winter spirits escape. As he looked at it, Pitched hummed with thought. Maybe, he didn't have to destroy that spirit. His fear was energizing enough, imagine what belief from the child could do!

As he picked up a shard of frozen sand, Pitch looked back in the direction the boy had gone. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

 

"Alright, now talk."

Jack gazed down at the weakened Guardians on the ground. He had no idea what was going on, but he wanted to know. Now.

The Guardians each glanced at each other, not knowing how to explain this to the young spirit without sounding like villains. As they tried to work it out in their minds, they were interrupted by a frustrated spirit.

"Start talking, now." Jack growled out.

"What do you want to know?" Tooth asked softly, deciding she would be the best to go about this.

"Everything." Jack said. "What is this talk about a light? Why is the freaky Boogieman after me with an, an army? Why aren't you doing anything? Just explain everything!"

Tooth blinked before taking a deep breath. "Well you see, as Guardians, we rely on children's belief in us to keep from fading. Pitch seeks to destroy us by getting rid of all the lights. He almost succeeded if it wasn't for your belief. You see, you have a light upon the globe, meaning you're a child."

Jack frowned. "I'm not a child. I'm three hundred years old."

"Yes, but how old were you when you were chosen as a spirit?" North asked.

"Chosen?"

"Yeah, like how old were you before you became Jack Frost?" Tooth asked.

"But I wasn't anyone before I was Jack Frost." Jack mumbled, looking confused. Tooth quickly looked to the others in horror, coming to the conclusion he didn't remember his past. However, before she could ask, Jack spoke up. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that you're telling me, I'm just a battery for you to use? That's the only reason you're protecting me?"

They flinched at the harshness of his tone, but they knew they deserved it.

"Aren't there like, four of you? I mean, where's…where's Sandy?" Jack's voice grew quieter towards the end. The Guardians all looked at each other. There was something within Jack's voice that made them hesitated in telling him what had befallen their friend, but the disparate look he gave them, made them crack.

"Pitch," North began, "Pitch ambushed us…when we tried collecting the teeth. To get us out of there, Sandy took on him alone. He…didn't make it."

The look that took over the winter spirit's face was heart breaking. His eyes grew wide with sorrow and horror as he stared at the, clutching his staff to his chest. He looked so young when he spoke in a quiet voice. "Sandy's…Sandy's…gone? You're joking right? He-he can't be gone! He can't." He just sounded so broken as his head was tilted towards the ground and his snowy bangs shadowed his face.

"I am sorry, Jack." North said as he stood and approached the other, who only stepped away, and North swore he felt the light fade away at the news of Sandy, but now it flickered weakly and with a dull light.

"No, it's fine." Jack responded. "It-It doesn't change a thing. He's gone, so nothing can be done, right? You guys are done for. I'm not your little tool to use. Just leave me alone, ok?"

As he moved to leave them behind, North spoke up. "No." This made Jack stop to look back at him. "No! We are not done!"

Jack scowled. "You guys have almost no power left, just give up. You have no hope and I'm not hanging with you to supply your power."

"But Jack, don't you see?! You were chosen as a Guardian! You can defeat Pitch and bring children's belief back!" This was the wrong thing to say. Jack's eyes grew stormy as he turned on the Guardians, the wind whipping around him in distress.

"I am not a tool for you to use." He hissed out. "I'm not your secret weapon, or your power supplier. You cannot just come up to me and tell me to do this! I am not something to be used!"

The Guardians were pushed back by the force of the wind, as Jack's angered voice rang out at them. However, as North gazed at the boy. He saw why he was a light. He could see the ever living child within his angered face, twisted in distress. And as a Guardian, they had to protect the children.

With all the strength he could muster, North pushed against the wind as it whipped and slashed at his cheeks. He dug his boots into the snowy ground as he fought his way to the winter spirit. Soon, he reached the calm center and he reached his hand out to grasp Jack's shoulder. At this, the boy's icy glare shot up to his own saddened blues.

"I am sorry we have upset you Jack. Please calm down, we meant no harm by our words." North spoke. Jack glared at the older spirit for a while longer before he sighed and calmed the wind.

"You're not worth it." Jack muttered, stepping away from North, letting his large hand fall to his side. He began to walk off, deeper into the trees and not looking back.

"Hey!" Bunny shouted. "Are you just going to leave us here?! Hey!" But Jack did not turn back. He continued walking further away until his slim form was no longer in sight.

"Did he just leave us here to starve!?" Bunny exclaimed towards the others.

"No, he didn't fly off like he could have." Tooth spoke. "He just walked away."

"Perhaps he does not have heart to leave us here without help." North hummed questionably. Bunny just grumbled as he got comfortable.


	4. Chapter 4

"He left us here!" Bunny exclaimed suddenly. They had chosen to sit and wait for Jack to return, deciding to leave him alone to process the information he had been given. And to be honest, they'd been sitting there for quite a while.

"He did not leave us here." North waved off.

"We don't know why he's been gone so long." Tooth said. "I mean, what if Pitch got to him?!"

"Nah, if that was the reason then we'd be goners." Bunny answered. "No, he left us here!"

"The boy did not leave us here." North huffed before standing up from where he had been sitting. "I will go check on him, show you he is still here."

"But you don't even know where he is." Tooth said, looking up at the other Guardian.

"I know direction he went, it will be fine." North responded before walking off in the direction that the winter spirit had gone off to, disappearing behind the trees.

"I swear, if that boy wasn't the last light, I'd leave him here to deal with Pitch." Bunny grumbled curling up to stay warm.

"Bunny he's still a child-" Tooth began only to be cut off.

"A bloody nuisance more like it." He cut in. Tooth frowned at him but didn't say anything to his response.

* * *

 

Jack stared forward, curled up with his knees to his chest and the hood to his hoody pulled over his head, not really watching anything as he sat there and processed what had been told to him. He was apparently the last believer in the Guardians and that was the reason they came to find him. Sure it seemed he was chosen to be one of them, but that didn't seem to be the reason the sought him out. No, they searched for him because he just happened to be the only thing keeping them alive. And at that thought, his chest hurt. Did they really only look after children for their own gain?

Wait, there was Sandy! He cared for the children obviously, even cared for Jack! Or had cared. Jack's mood took a sharp spiral downward and snow fell lightly around him. Sandy, the only spirit to really pay any attention to him, was gone. The little golden man had always waved to Jack when he saw him and would sometimes use the time he had to spare to spend time with Jack. It made these three hundred year bearable. Well, him and the wind. They were the only ones to actually care for him. Now he was left with the other three Guardians who cared only for themselves and showed nothing to him. Who didn't give him any presents or eggs upon holidays. Or happy times to remember. They didn't even realize he was a child on their globe until they searched him out!

He was broken from his thoughts by large footsteps breaking the twigs upon the ground behind him. Reacting instantly, Jack sprung up with his staff and turned to face the threat. Only it wasn't a threat, it was just North.

Jack sighed and turned away from the other to sit back down on the ground with his knees up to his chest. "What are you doing here?"

North gazed down at the younger spirit curled up on the ground. The deadpan voice that had been spoken from the hooded teen causing the other to grow concerned. "You have not returned for a while. Came to check up on you."

"Well you don't need to worry." Honestly, Jack hadn't realized how long he had been sitting there for, not that it mattered.

"I'm surprised you did not fly off on us." North spoke as he sat down next to Jack.

Jack's eyes flickered over to him before going back to starring forward. "Yeah, well, so am I. I guess I had to process a few things." North hummed in response.

They sat in silence a while longer, the quiet air peaceful at first until feelings and questions began to build within Jack's mind. Curling up tighter he sighed attracting North's attention.

"Jack?"

"Why?"

"I don't know wh-"

"Why do you care?" He cut him off as he turned his dark eyes to the Guardian. "Why did you ask if I was ok? Why do you care? Aren't I just some battery for you?"

North's expression turned sour. "No, you aren't. I was truly worried when you didn't came back. We were worried." He decided not to mention Bunny's reaction.

"You're lying!" Jack hissed. North's eyes widened and Jack quieted his voice. "You're lying. You probably just wanted to make sure I didn't run off or was taken by Pitch. I mean, why would you suddenly care? You didn't for three hundred years. None of you did."

"Jack," He moved to put his hand upon his shoulder but Jack flinched away. "We are sorry, for how we treated you."

"You're just saying that." Jack whispered, head tilted down letting the edges of the hood hide his face. "None of you really cared. Only…Only Sandy did. And now he's gone."

North couldn't help but take in how venerable the usually mischievous spirit looked. How he looked like a lonely child who had just lost the only person in the world who cared. Which in reality, it was true. They really messed up. "I am sorry, Jack. He was close to all of us. You too were close?"

"We talked when we could." Jack let out a wet laugh, as if trying to fight the tears of grief with false joy. "He was so funny and caring. And now he's gone." North, even with the hood in place, he could practically see the wet eyes with tears trailing down from them. He wanted to reach out, comfort this distraught child. But he couldn't. As much as he wanted to, he had failed as a Guardian causing this sorrow, this fear to fester within this child.

But now, as he watched him cry for their lost friend, North realized this is where he could start to make his amends.

So he slowly reached out with his large arms and drew the child into his embrace. But Jack did not take to this. He struggled and spat, trying to get away to deal with his grief alone. He did not want someone who had ignored him for so long to try and suddenly care. So he fought the kindness of the embrace as tears trailed down his cheeks. But it was all for naught. The red clothed arms pulled in the much skinnier spirit, cradling him as his face was angled towards his chest. Still Jack struggled. Not use to such touches or kindness.

However, he could not deny the need for comfort any longer. Giving in, Jack buried his face into the red coat and his hands came up to fist into the cloth. North moved his hands to Jack's head and back, rubbing comforting circles while whispering soft words meant to calm the other. These were the sounds that took up the air, joined by the soft chokes and sobs from Jack's otherwise silent tears. This continued for a while, however North did not find it annoying as the cold tears seeped into his coat. He found he was finally fulfilling his Guardian duty in comforting this lonely, immortal child that they had neglected these past three hundred years.

Soon Jack's sobs tapered off and he fell limp in North's arms. Looking down, he found the frost child asleep in his arms, worn down from the day's events. His face was wet with the trail of tears and remained still as no dreams came to great his closed lids. However, while no dreams were gifted to the child, North would make sure no nightmares would assault the otherwise dreamless sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Tooth and Bunny looked up when they heard North's large footsteps approaching where they were sitting. The large Guardian was walking towards them with his arms were folded across his chest, a figure resting within them. Tooth and Bunny stood up and moved closer, prepared to see what he had brought. As soon as they were before him, their eyes trailed over the sleeping spirit within his arms.

"What happened?" Tooth asked quietly so she didn't wake him.

"Boy tired himself out from the day's events." North whispered back, shifting his hold on the winter spirit as he kept him close. Wanting to help out, Tooth took the spirit's staff from his arms.

"So he was just napping when you found him?" Bunny scoffed.

North shook his head. "No he was thinking over things. Has been overwhelming day, yes?"

Tooth cooed as she gazed down at Jack's sleeping form. "We should let him rest."

Bunny turned to both of them. "How about he rests when we get back to the Pole or something! Hasn't it occurred to you that we are in the middle of nowhere!?" His frustrated voice shouted out. Both Tooth and North shushed him when Jack stirred in his arms, but thankfully did not wake.

"Relax Bunny." North laughed quietly. "It is safer here for now since Pitch doesn't know where we are. Plus, snow if good for winter spirit." At that he had sat down and placed the younger spirit next to him in the snow. Tooth sat down next to him, placing the staff by its owner. Bunny scowled but lied down as well.

Tooth had decided to take a closer look at Jack's face, wanting to see what that sparkling within his smile was, when she noticed the light tracks upon his cheeks.

"Oh dear!" She exclaimed. "North was he alright? It looks as though he was crying."

North frowned, his eyes darkening as he turned his gaze to her before looking at Jack. "We have done terribly at our job. We have to do better if we want his belief to live."

They sat in silence after that. None of them knowing what to say after such a confession. However, as Tooth thought back on when they had been telling Jack what he wanted to know, a thought formed in her mind. "Why did he react such a way when we told him about…Sandy?" She asked. While she knew Sandy was a beloved figure among the spirits, Jack's reaction just seemed like he knew Sandy almost as much as they did.

North swallowed. "It appears they were close friends for a while." He answered vaguely. It wasn't his story to tell. Time slowly slipped by and the Guardians themselves slowly fell into the void of sleep. As this happened, a moan sounded from the last light and he opened his eyes groggily. The sun was now setting within the sky and Jack rubbed his eyes as he slowly sat up. He looked around, spotting the others sleeping and his staff nearby. He frowned as he remembered how he fell asleep. He never intended for it to happen it just…did.

Jack groaned as he covered his face with his hands. "This can't be happening."

"And why not?" A familiar, silky voice rang from the shadows. "Because, it seems very real to me."

Jack's eyes widened at the voice and he sprang up, his staff held in front of him as he turned to face the nightmare king.

Pitch had his hands up, as if showing he meant no harm but Jack knew better. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't come to fight." Pitch answered. Jack scoffed but let the other continue. "I just wanted to know why you were still hanging out with those weirdoes."

Jack took a chance to look at the others before looking back at Pitch, who had strangely stayed in place. "I can do what I want."

"It's just strange that you would stick with them when all their doing is using you." Pitch replied.

Jack scoffed. "And I should listen to you? You tried to kill me!"

Pitch sighed. "And I realized that was wrong to do. I don't want to hurt you, not really, because this isn't your fight Jack. You were just dragged into this battle by those fools who only seek to use you." Pitch moved forward and Jack took a step back in response, only to watch the other disappear. Jack quickly turned around searching for the older spirit when he suddenly felt hands upon his shoulders. This caused him to freeze in shock as a voice whispered in his ear.

"I know how it feels Jack. To be alone, to not be believed in. And it's because they didn't help, just like you. But I want you to know that I believe in you and if you come with me, I'll help you gain believers. I know you didn't want to be in this battle, but now that you are you have to choose which side you'll be on." The hands disappeared from his shoulders and Jack soon found he was staring back into golden eyes.

"You'll have to make a choice Jack." He whispered and then vanished.

Jack let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he stared at the spot Pitch had been. Had he really meant what he said? Jack could honestly say he didn't know what to think about Pitch's offer seeing as his actions and words tangled in his mind confusing him. Pitch says he doesn't want to hurt him, yet he tried to kill him. He claims that he'll be there for Jack, yet where was he before? He says the Guardians will just use him, but how does Jack know he won't do the same.

His head began to hurt so he decide to stop thinking upon it now. He fell down, and sat until the others were up.

* * *

 

North groaned as he opened his eyes. He sat up and stretched, cracking his back. His sleep heavy eyes took in the air around him, and just when he turned to check up on Jack, he found the boy was not there. Eyes widening, he quickly looked around, hoping to spot the younger. His search was not in vain. He found the boy sitting a few feet away, making snowflake and letting them be carried off by the wind. Standing up he approach the other.

"Jack-"

"Ok, let's make one thing clear." Jack cut in. "What happened yesterday was just a moment of weakness. We don't need to talk about it, alright?"

North froze, stunned at the sudden demand. Then he blinked and let out a slow, "Alright."

Jack nodded. "Good."

They lapsed into silence for the time being until Jack spoke up. "So…are the naughty and nice lists real?"

North chuckled. "Yes. Why?"

"Just curious. Am I on one?"

"Yes, you hold the record on the naughty list."

Jack smirked. "Hey, I got bored in those three hundred years alright?" North just laughed.

The other's slowly awoke from their slumber and rushed over to them.

"Jack!" Tooth exclaimed, running over to hug the boy. "I'm so glad you're alright!" Jack was tense in her arms, staring wide eyed over her shoulder. When she let go, she saw the shock in his blue orbs and pulled away. "Sorry." She apologized. "I was just so worried."

"Well, I'm fine." Jack mumbled back.

"Oi!" They turned to look at a shivering Bunny.

"Yes Cottontail?" Jack smirked.

"Get us out of here will ya!?" Bunny snapped at him. "I'm freezing my bloody tail off!"

"What, can't take a little cold?" Jack teased.

"Why you little-"

"Can you take us to the Pole Jack?" Tooth cut in before it could escalate. "It will be safer there and it a good place to stay right now."

Jack let out a long sigh, "Fiiiinnnnne!"

With a wave of his staff, the ice appeared once more and they headed for the Pole.


	6. Chapter 6

The ice trail stopped at the door of the Pole, letting the Guardians stand up and North to open the large doors. As they creaked open, Jack was surprised to find that there was almost no noise going on in the large building. This was a workshop, right?

He silently followed the Guardians inside, taking in the large size of the building. As he expected, there were work tables that had tools upon them as well as toys and pieces. There were still some toys in the air or walking around, but a majority lay upon the ground or upon the work tables. He could see yetis still working on some, but looking up at their entry. When they stopped walking, Jack noticed they were in a large room with a ginormous globe off its ledge. It was dull and seemed lifeless but as it turned slowly upon its axis, Jack caught sight of a small light towards the top in the North Pole. His eyes widened slightly as he realized what it was. That was his light. His eyes were focused upon that small, dull light as it flickered on and off. And even though it showed its weakness, Jack still couldn't believe that somewhere inside him, there was belief.

Suddenly, he heard large feet, lots of large feet, heading in their direction. Turning his head quickly, Jack watched as large, hairy creatures that towered over even North approach them. Jack knew what these were. They were the yetis that worked in North's workshop. The one in the front of the group approached them and spoke in a language Jack did not understand, however, North seemed to!

"Yes I know lights are out." He replied. "But there is still power yes?" A grumble. "See, nothing to worry about!"

The yeti looked over the Guardians and caught sight of Jack. He pointed at the boy and North turned to him before answering. "That is Jack Frost! He is the last light on the globe!"

As North was saying this, Jack was taking a closer look at the Yeti. He looked familiar. "Phil?" He asked. The yeti turned to him and Jack laughed. "It is you! Hi!"

Phil just scowled.

North, however, was confused. "Jack? You know Phil?"

"Eh…" Jack turned to him. "Oh yeah! We met like two centuries ago! I tried to bust in here only for him to stop me! It's been an on-going game sense."

North blinked in surprise. All this time, Jack had been trying to get into the Pole and North had no clue? How could he have been so stupid!? "I'm sorry I never noticed, Jack." He apologized.

Jack waved him off. "It's fine! Phil was actually really good at the game, kept me entertained. The moon knows I needed it." Jack laughed for a minute before calming down. "So, this is the famous, Santa's workshop huh? A little quiet from what I've heard."

"Yeah, well, losing believers will do that to you." Bunny replied.

Jack shrugged, "If you say so."

"What, you don't believe me?" Bunny growled hopping towards the other.

"I didn't say that Cottontail. I just wouldn't know what that feels like." Jack replied, his eyes growling a little darker.

"Right, because a trouble maker like you has never had believers." Bunny snorted.

Jack narrowed his eyes at the Guardian. "Yes, well at least I don't need believers to keep me full grown. I don't need to bribe kids to stay alive."

"Maybe that means you'll never be believed in." Bunny shot back. "Maybe, you don't need them so that means you'll always be invisible to them. You'll always be written off as just an expression while we'll be heard of, believed in."

Jack gave a dry chuckle. "But you're not believed in. No, the  _Boogieman_ took that away from you."

"At least we were believed in. You have never been and probably never will be believed in. I don't even know why you were chosen as a Guardian! Who would want to believe in a selfish spirit who brings nothing bit cold?"

"Bunny-"

"Selfish?!" Jack cut Tooth off. "I have decided to keep you safe from that freaky army and have somehow supplied you with power! And you call me selfish!? I don't even know why I should be protecting you or even believing in you! You're the selfish ones! You're the ones who left me on my own and now are just coming to me because I happen to be your last light!"

Upon the globe, the light flickered.

"I don't even know why we're protecting you. You're just a spirit who happens to be a child. I bet even if we fade away, you still won't be believed in because no one likes you."

"BUNNY!" North's voice roared, stopping any further comment. He didn't even have to look at the globe to tell how weakly lit the light was now. No all he had to do was look at Jack. While his face was pulled tight to fight off the blows, his eyes showed how much they really hurt. They were dark and North swore he could see a thin layer of tears but once Jack blinked, they were gone.

He turned to Phil, telling the yeti something, before turning back to Jack. "Jack, why don't you go with Phil. He'll show you around. We have to talk with Bunny for a moment."

Jack didn't move at first. But when Phil went over and put a hand on his back, Jack slowly walked away after sending one last glare towards the Guardian of Hope. They watched Phil escort Jack out the door and once it closed behind them, they turned their furious eyes on Bunny.

"What are you doing!?" Tooth screeched marching up to the smaller Guardian and glaring down at him. "Why would you say that!?"

"Because it's the truth isn't it?!" Bunny snapped back. "No one likes the cold and no one likes him! He was mocking us for losing our believers!"

"You just took it that way!" She growled back.

"He's still nothing but a bloody nuisance who causes nothing but trouble!"

"But he is a  _child_ Bunny!" North exclaimed. "You are just saying this because he make it snow on Easter!"

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe he was just lost?" Tooth hissed. "That maybe he just needed guidance?!"

"Oi! I didn't see any of you going off to help him?!"

"Sandy did." Tooth whispered.

"That is right." North said. "But now it is our time to redeem ourselves." He picked up the rabbit and pointed him towards the light upon the globe. "Do you see that? That is his belief! Because of you, it is weaker! Do you not care about children?!"

* * *

Meanwhile, walking down the hall away from the shouting, Phil led Jack through the workshop. While it may have lost most of the power from lack in belief, it still held enough wonder to make Jack's eyes widen at the sights. He let the winter spirit play with some of the toys that were working and done and the yeti couldn't help but grin as he watch such joy be emitted from him. They moved from place to place, visiting each area and spending time in each. They had eventually came across a crowd of elves and when they had spotted the two, charged.

However, Jack found this army of exited elves fun and soon started up a game with them. He head herded them all into the large room that he and Phil had been before and it wasn't long until snow was being thrown back and forth. Phil shook his head as he watched the little monstrosities have fun when suddenly a snowball pelted him from behind. Turning quickly, he found a certain white haired spirit grinning at him.

"Hey!" He called with a wave. Stunned at first Phil stared at the spirit before he shook his head and ran at him. With a laugh, Jack floated away and through the door, Phil on his tail.

"Oh come on, you've got to try harder than that!" He laughed when he took a turn causing Phil to almost skid past him. Jack continued to laugh as the yeti chased him and Phil had to admit, it was fun. The boy was bringing a fun in his heart that he hadn't felt in a while.

But as he chased him through the halls, Phil noticed a certain room they were nearing and he would have yelled out to stop Jack, but he had already opened the door. Jack zipped into the room and when Phil entered, he found him frozen in place. He felt guilty that he hadn't stopped the boy from entering the room, but nothing could be done about it now. He had seen it.

What exactly had he seen? Before the two lay the memorial that had been built for the Guardian of Dreams. Its candles still flickered with the fire that had been lit not but two days ago. Phil walked forward and put a hand upon the young spirits shoulder as they gazed at the grave.

"Is that…" He couldn't finish. It was just too painful to know that the only spirit that had ever cared was gone. He felt Phil's hand tighten upon his shoulder, but he couldn't stand the sight anymore. With a gust of wind, Jack rocketed out of the room. Phil tried to follow, but it was useless. The boy was gone from his sight.

* * *

"You took an oath to protect all children of the world." North spoke towards the rabbit. "Good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them. By forgetting Jack we have failed at that oath, and you have worsened it by not holding up the hope you promised to protect."

Bunny gazed guiltily down at the floor, ears pulled back in sorrow. He knew they were right. He had taken the oath and, even at the chance to redeem himself, he didn't even try. He let years of snowy Easters and the downfall of this one get to him. However, before he could speak up, the door opened and Phil poked his head in.

Phil spoke quickly to North, whose eyes widened in response.

"What is it?" Tooth asked.

"Jack's run off." North replied.

"What?!" Tooth exclaimed, eyes widening in fright. "Please don't tell me he's gone too far!"

North shook his head. "He is still in the Pole. See?" He pointed towards the rotating globe and they all saw the light hadn't moved. "Come, we find him." With that they each split up to search for the winter spirit.


	7. Chapter 7

_A white haired teen looked around the snow covered town. He's been here for a while now and he had watched as those who couldn't see him disappeared within the wooden buildings. Jack didn't know what to do! These people couldn't see him and he didn't know why. He tried to ask the moon, who he had found comfort in up until now, did not answer his desperate calls for answers._

_He was lost and scared._

_Suddenly, the sky lit up with a beautiful glow as golden tendrils stretched through the sky and slowly disappeared within each home. Jack watched in wonder at the sight, not knowing where such things came from. With wide eyes, he reached up to touch one and when his fingers brushed the strand, out came an animal he did not recognize but he laughed as it swam around him before vanishing. He continued playing with the strand when there was a sudden tap on his shoulder._

_Spinning around, Jack found a little, golden man standing upon a cloud staring at him in confusion. With a yelp, Jack jumped away and held his staff up. With a shaky breath, Jack spoke weakly, "C-Can you see me?"_

_At first the little man just looked even more confused. But then it dawned on him. A new spirit. An elemental at the looks of it, and a young one too. The spirit was still a child and clearly had no idea as to what was going on. He then softened his expression and gave the other a smile with a nod._

_Instantly, blue eyes lit up and the fear left. "R-Really!? Can you tell me what's going on?! Why do they walk through me?! How do I fly?! And make ice?! And-" The questions kept coming and coming._

_A hand was held up and a question mark formed when the man pointed at Jack._

_He blinked for a moment before answering. "Who am I?" A nod. "Well, Jack Frost. Or, at least, that's what the moon told me."_

_The man's eyes widened. The moon would make one so young!? His thoughts were interrupted by a cough from the younger._

_"And you are?"_

_More symbol flashed above the others head; sand and a man._

_The boy's eyebrows furrowed before answering. "Sand? Man? Your names Sandman?_

_Sandman, or Sandy as he's been known to be called, nodded with a smile. This new spirit was smart, able to understand his symbols without knowing what they meant._

_"So, do you not talk?" Jack asked._

_Sandy nodded._

_"Can you tell me what's going on?" He looked at the older with desperate eyes, pleading for help. Sandy took one look at his face before nodding. He began to explain about the spirits and jobs. He told the boy about how he seemed to be a winter spirit and helped him understand his powers. When Sandy left the other, it wasn't long until they saw each other again and they would meet up when they could and a friendship was formed._

* * *

The Guardians searched throughout the Pole in hopes of finding the distressed child. North and Phil had taken the lower levels, Tooth the central levels, and Bunny took the higher up ones. He felt guilt swallowing him up and forming a void within his heart. He can't believe he had caused such a fall in hope, in belief. This was his fault and he hoped to Manny that the boy wasn't in danger. He need to fix his mistake.

As he rushed through the halls, he felt a cold drift flow out from an open doorway. Stopping his run, he turned into the room, finding this was one of the few with a small balcony attached. The door to the balcony was open slightly, a soft draft flowing in through the opening. Outside lay a wooden balcony covered with the powdery snow of the pole. On the railing sat the one person they had all been searching for. Jack Frost. His back was to Bunny and his hood up as he stared out towards the wintery tundra, crooked staff leaning next to him. A light flurry of snow fell around him and the ever present friend, the wind, was swirling gently around him, as though trying to offer comfort to the winter child.

Bunny hopped forwards, hoping the other would notice him, but he didn't. Jack just continued to stare outward as though his mind was lost in some other world other than here. Praying the wind would not push him away, he hopped up next to the daydreaming child and to his luck, the wind allowed him close to the other. He didn't know what to say as he stared at the other's expressionless face from the side. Dark and glassy eyes stared forward with sorrowful emotions swirling in their depths.

"Er…Jack?" Bunny called out, tapping the other's arm. Jack jolted out of wherever he had been and turned to look wide eyed at Bunny. For a few seconds they stared at each other before Jack scoffed and turned away from the other to go back to staring into the distance.

"What are you doing here?"

Bunny blinked at the question before answering. "Looking for you, why else?"

Jack gave a laugh. "Who put you up to it? North? Tooth? Phil? Or where you just making sure your power source didn't fly off?"

"And why couldn't I just be looking for you for a good reason?"

"Please, both me and you know you hate my guts. We both know you'd rather have any other light here than me. So, what is your reason for coming here?"

Bunny's ears fell back as he was reminded of his failure. "Look Jack-"

"Just forget it. I don't want to listen to whatever it is you have to say."

Bunny scowled. This child was stubborn and getting on his nerves. Here he was trying to apologize and he wasn't listening! Growling he said, "No, listen I wanted to say, I'm sorry. About everything."

Jack let out a laugh. "Lies. Seriously, you're going to fake apologies now?"

"Look I'm sorry for earlier! It's just been stressful ok? You were just the last person I'd ever expect to have to protect." That came out wrong. That fact was obvious when Jack let out a loud, "Oh! I see how it is!" The wind picked up in response.

"No! I didn't mean-GAH!" Bunny groaned in frustration. Why was this so hard?!

Jack spoke up. "Look, I don't want you to struggle with your lie so how about you just leave me here? 'Kay? I'd like to be alone."

Bunny stared up at him. "Why?"

Laughter sounded through Jack's ears as his vision shifted to happier memories. Golden sand and happy times were what he was thinking about. He watched as he and Sandy played games and pranks. How he help the other create dreams for children and in return he gained help with his powers.

A voice broke through his thoughts and the memory shattered before his eyes. "Jack?"

He shook his head, "It's nothing Cottontail. Just leave me alone, would you?"

Bunny gazed at the other. Jack's head was down and shadowed by both his hood and bangs. It looked as if he was trying to hide from the Guardian. At the thought of a child hiding from him, he heart broke. North was right, they failed at their oath.

Reaching out with a paw, he touch the other's arms only for Jack to flinch away. "Just go."

"Jack, what's wrong?" Bunny asked softly.

"Don't lie." Jack snapped back. "Don't pretend you care. Don't say that you actually care now, like…" He stopped himself there and it dawned on Bunny.

"You found Sandy's memorial, didn't you?" No answer. "You're thinking about him. Look Jack-"

"No." Jack cut him off forcefully. "Just stop. I don't need your false comfort."

Bunny eyed him for a moment before going in and nuzzling his right hand, it laid upon his lap, and speaking. "Then why haven't you pushed me away or flown off yet?"

Jack's eyes widened for a moment before he clenched them shut, holding back the flood of tears. Why were they all acting like this? They were just doing it for the power, right? No one, but Sandy had ever cared. He didn't need them or their friendship!

But no matter how much he repeated similar phrases within his mind, he couldn't help the little bit of hope that was threatening to grow within his chest. The hope that people actually cared.

And Bunny could feel it. That stunted hope that threatened to grow even larger but was held back from such a powerful force of doubt. It practically made the Guardian nauseous at the thought and feel of it.

With a gentle sigh, Bunny let them sit in silence that took over as the boy shuddered next to him. After what felt like hours, the shivers stopped and Jack spoke up. "You should go inside, the cold wasn't made for shrunken kangaroos."

"Why don't you come inside as well then? Can't let your twig of a body get swept away by the wind." The wind swirled at the comment and picked Jack up off of his seat. Jack let out a laugh and Bunny smiled at seeing him happy. Nothing was better than seeing a child happy in his eyes.

Still in the air, Jack turned to Bunny, his hood now down, and grinned. "Want to race?"

"I'm not in the best condition for that fright now, Frostbite." Bunny said raising an eyebrow.

"That's fine!" Jack laughed, "I'll give you a lift!" And before Bunny could speak, pale hands scooped him up and they shot through the Pole.


	8. Chapter 8

The other Guardians were alerted of Jack's presence from his joyful laughing as he flew into the room they gathered in, Bunny shouting in horror in his arms. They stared in shock for a moment, this not being what they'd expect when they would've found the winter spirit. Shaking out if his shock, North called out-

"Jack!" The boy turned to look at him as Bunny jumped out of his arms. "Is good to see you still here!"

Jack blinked at him for a moment before drawing out a long "Yeah".

"Are you alright?" Tooth asked. "When Phil told us you'd run off we were so worried! What if you had gotten hurt?! Or if Pitch had gotten you?!" She continued to run on and on while Jack just stared back with wide eyes. These questions of concern were overwhelming. The only person to have ever worried like this was the wind, and even then she wasn't like this.

"Tooth!" North shouted cutting her off. "Calm down. Boy is back and unharmed yes? No need to fret."

"Er…yeah." Jack said, finding his voice. "I'm fine and I can disappear if I want. It's not like you can trap me here or anything." He mumbled, crossing his arms.

That seemed to lower Tooth's mood and she backed away, noticing how Jack seemed to relax a bit. "Oh, right." She whispered. "I'm sorry Jack."

Jack swallowed. "It's fine." Now that he wasn't trying to drown his sadness with joy, he noticed how weird the situation was. He had cried in front of the Guardian who hated him the most, flew around with him, and was now being worried over by the spirits who he still felt as though were just using him. The bitterness of them ignoring him for 300 years was telling him that they were just using him, why else would they want such a hated spirit like him. But their worrying was slowly clawing a doubt into his mind, a thought that they actually may care.

He shook his head slightly.  _'It's just guilt.'_  He thought.  _'They just feel as though they failed their job and are now trying to make up for it. Once the lights come back on, they'll ignore you again.'_

However, these thoughts couldn't stop that small amount of hope that had sparked for a moment, making his light shine for a moment before dulling once more. And, unknown to him, the Guardians knew of it as well. They had felt the rush from the strengthened belief of an immortal child, Tooth's wings even fluttered for a second. They smiled for a moment but when they saw the dull light, the smile fell from their faces. How could they get his belief to grow in them, to make him see they actually do care? Granted, they really didn't deserve it but they wanted to make it better, if not for them, then to help Jack keep his childhood joy.

North clapped his hands. "So," He asked. "What do you like to do Jack?"

"Um…why?" Jack asked.

"We will be hear for a while, why not do things you like?"

"Shouldn't you be worrying about all the crying children out there instead of me? I mean, they're obviously more important." They all winced, hearing the unspoken comment of their neglect but North brushed it away.

"It is not like we can do much." North answered earning an eye roll from the winter spirit. "And besides, you are just as important as other child, so you should be cared for-"

"I don't need to be babied." Jack snapped with a glare. "I don't need your guilty conscious pity party to baby me."

"It is not guilt or pity." North answer casually. "Just want to know what you like so you don't get bored and freeze workshop." That gained a small smile out of Jack and, even though he had looked away, the Guardians saw it and in response smiled. "So I ask again, what do you like to do?"

Jack bit his lip. What did he like to do? He liked to mess with people and play pranks but they wouldn't join in on that, or they'd just mess it up. But that didn't mean they couldn't play some games or have a snowball fight. Jack also like to carve ice figures and ice skate.

"Jack?" Tooth's voice broke him out of his musing and he looked back at them.

"I…uh…" He realizes no one's ever really asked him what he wanted to do, or at least no one besides Sandy. Mortals didn't see him and other spirits just told him to get lost or to stop messing around, never had they actually wanted to spend time with him and do something he liked. And even when he was approached by other spirits, it was never for a good reason.

"I…" He spoke again. "I like to carve things and have snowball fights and…stuff." This was awkward. An uncomfortable silence sat in the air around them. Jack shifted as they all stared at him. "Look we don't have to do anything like that or whatever. You can all go off any do whatever it is you do and I'll go and whatever it is I do. We don't have to spend time together or anything."

"But we want to Jack." Tooth responded with a smile.

"And it's not like we have anything else to do." Bunny mumbled. Jack frowned at his answer but didn't get the chance to comment before North spoke again.

"You like to carve?" Jack gave a hesitant nod. "Excellent!"

"Oh I would love to see what you can do!" Tooth squealed. "The ice path you created was so smooth and beautiful! What else can you do!?"

"I…uh I…" He didn't know how to respond to this. The only person who was curious about his work was Sandy. Everyone else didn't care for the cold his creations brought and because his season was dubbed the season of death.

"Come Jack!" North exclaimed. "Show us what you can do!" With that he ushered the boy towards one of the Pole's hallways. They followed down it and came to North's own personal workshop. They entered through the doors and, before anything could be done, Jack moved away from them.

"Whoa, whoa wait." He said looking at them. "What if I don't want to show you my skills? What if I just want to go relax in the snow or something?"

"Jack-"

"No." Jack cut North off. "I don't want to just sit in here and have you all ogle at me. Ok? So, if you don't mind, goodbye." With that Jack left the office.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack sighed from where he sat on the windowsill he would have left but he just wasn't in the mood to go off and have them chase them down, even if it might be funny to watch them hobble around in their weakened forms. He poked the glass of the window with his finger, watching as frost spread out upon it. It looked as though it was about to take the form of Sandy but he quickly made sure that didn't happen. He's gone into tears too many times then he'd like around the Guardians.

Soft footsteps towards the door made him groan. Can't they just leave him alone? Just give him space for just a few hours? This is just too much to handle, all this positive attention their giving him. Honestly, he was actually missing the time they'd left him alone, at least then he wasn't just being kept for their own needs.

He turned towards the feathered Guardian in the doorway, prepared to tell her to go away, only to see her attention wasn't on him, but the window behind him.

"Oh, that's beautiful Jack." This made him blush, frost shooting across his cheeks.

"Er…thanks." He said rubbing his neck. "It's nothing, really, just frost."

"Oh but it truly is a work of art." She said with a soft smile, coming up to stand before him.

Jack looked away, adverting his gaze to the floor. "What do you want? If you didn't take the hint, I wanted to be alone."

Tooth flinched slightly at the harsh tone, but Jack didn't notice as he just continued to look away from her. "I just wanted to apologize for earlier, we must have overwhelmed you, sorry."

"It fine, I'd just like to be alone right now. Please." He can't believe he added a please to that but, he did. He was that desperate to be alone.

"A-Alright. Also, we have some lunch downstairs if you want to join us." She offered.

"Thanks but no thanks." Jack answered.

"Ok." With that she quietly left. Jack let out a sigh at the silence. This is what he wanted. No Guardians bugging him or watching him. Just nice, peaceful silence that he was used to. Soon, he was being lulled to sleep by the soft caressing of the wind through his hair and the comfortable silence. And once his eyes were closed, the shadow struck.

* * *

Tooth sighed as she stepped into the room with the other two Guardians who, were of course, already eating. She let out another sigh as she sat down, drawing their attention to her.

"Where is Jack?! Surely he is hungry?!" North exclaimed after swallowing a bit of the meat on his plate.

"He just wants to be alone right now." Tooth answered as she poked at her plate. "I feel so bad for him. We're terrible Guardians!"

"I wouldn't say that." Bunny spoke up. "He just, slipped our minds. Well, most of our minds." The last part was whispered but the other's still heard it, looking down in sorrow.

"We have to make it up somehow." Tooth whispered.

"And we will!" North exclaimed with a wave of his arms.

"And why do you think that? For all we know, he might not even forgive us." Bunny sighed. Even he felt the guilt of their neglect.

"Then we will keep trying. We will fix what we've done wrong." North said. "We will try to make up 300 hundred years of neglect."

"Three hundred years of hatred and spirit's telling him to beat it. It's a miracle that Sandy kept that belief up." Bunny sighed. The other's nodded in agreement. It truly was a miracle. But now, that belief lay's in their hands, needing their own nourishment. How that light was still glowing, even as weak as it was, on the globe was a miracle in itself.

After that, they ate in silence. It honestly seemed as if they would go undisturbed in their lunch and that it seemed that Jack wouldn't be joining. But of course, nothing like this would be so calm during the time they were in.

They felt it before anything else really. Upon the globe, the light began flickering franticly and the Guardians all felt the effects of the weakened light. It made their hands shoot to their chests and them each to let out a gasp of breath. They each looked to each other with large, frightened eyes as they sprung up as swiftly as they could from their chairs. As quickly as they could, Tooth led them to the room that Jack had been and they slammed the doors open. There they found Jack letting out frightened moans and his head shifting back and forth, eyebrows drawn and eyes clenched. Suddenly, his breath caught and he seemed to be struggling to breath.

Breaking out of their horror, the Guardians rushed forwards, finding black sand swirling over the silver head. Its form was unclear, as though the dream itself was confusing but the horrifying effect was still there.

"Jack!" Tooth exclaimed as she gripped the boy's shoulders. "Jack wake up! It's just a nightmare! Come on sweetie!"

Jack began to struggle against her, but she just held on and continued to call to him. Then his eyes just shot open and he shot up, gasping for breath as if he'd been drowning. Tears formed with his blue eyes and Tooth quickly, as if on instinct, brought him to her chest and stroked his hair. The other two just stayed in the background, deciding to let Tooth deal with this.

"Sh," She hushed, running her fingers through his hair. "It's alright, it was just a nightmare."

Jack, who unconsciously leaned into her hold, whispered, "But it felt so familiar." In the nightmare, he had heard someone calling out his name. Then below him, the feeling of ice cracking filled his ears and he fell in. The cold was piercing but he thought someone called after him before everything had gone numb. Then, as he slowly lost all air within the icy waters, he had awoken within the arms of Tooth.

Tooth, who heard his whisper, frowned. "Maybe it was from your past, a horrifying experience from before you were a spirit."

That made Jack pause and pull away from her to look her in the eyes. "Before I was a spirit?"

Tooth smiled. "Of course. We were all someone before we were a spirit."

"But I wasn't anyone before I was Jack Frost." He responded. Then, as he gazed confusedly into her eyes, Tooth suddenly remembered the conversation from before, when North had asked his age. And looking into his eyes, she knew that the poor boy had no memories of his life before he was Jack Frost.

"Oh Jack! I'm so sorry!" She cried. "If only I had known then I could have helped you!"

"Helped me with what?!" Jack shouted in shock as he was pulled into her arms for a hug. He pushed against her as he cried, "What the heck are you talking about!?"

Tooth sighed and looked him in the eye and spoke seriously. "Jack, it's my job to collect the memories of all the children in the world. The teeth are the things that store those memories. We were all someone before we were a spirit, and that means I have your memories."

"What?" Jack breathed. "I-I was someone before this?"

Tooth nodded.

"T-Then you have to show me!"

Tooth sighed. "I'm sorry Jack, Pitch has all the teeth. He needs to be stopped before I can show them to you. I'm so sorry."

Jack looked heartbroken at the news before he sighed. "It's alright, Tooth. Y-You didn't know."

"I know, but I wish I still could have helped in this way." The only response she got was a soft smile towards her direction.

However, while everyone was distracted by the commotion going on, no one noticed Jack's hand fall upon some stray nightmare sand. As the pale hand touched the black sand, it did something that one wouldn't expect from the winter spirit's touch. Instead of getting covered in frost or ice, the sand glowed and turned golden beneath his hand. The trail slipped from beneath his hand and out of the workshop.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning was a bit awkward when Jack decided to face the Guardians. He didn't bring up the nightmare nor the night before then, too embarrassed to think that he had, once again, succumbed to tears before the group of spirits. Why? Why did he feel like he didn't have to hide his tears when with them? Was it because he was a child and since they protected children it was just instinct? Did the Guardians just have some weird magic that made his very well built walls crumble with a snap of their fingers? Jack groaned from his spot in the rafters. This is too much thinking for right now.

A sudden noise caught his attention from a closed door below him. He recognized the doors, they were the entrance to North's private workshop. But what would be happening in there? He silently landed on the floor and headed over to the doors, listening as he heard the cracking of ice and the sounds of tools. Jack blinked for a moment before knocking on the door, loudly in case it wouldn't be heard over the noises within.

The noises stopped abruptly and North's voice came from within. "Come in!"

Jack pushed open the doors and he was met with a very tired looking Guardian of Wonder sitting beside a desk with many ice sculptures of toys.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow and looking around the room. It was a bit messier than what Jack thought it would end up being like but then again, the Guardian was most likely working himself too hard to pay attention to the area around him.

North smiled. "Ah! I am making toys for Christmas! Just because Easter was fail does not mean Christmas will be."

"You do know Christmas is like, months away right?" Jack responded looking at the toys but he couldn't stop the wonder sparking in his eyes at the site that they were made of ice. "And…these are made of ice?"

North let out a laugh. "Of course! Why use wood when I have endless supply of ice all around me?"

"That's really cool." Jack breathed out as he picked up a small toy train in the desk. He took in the amazing details upon the form of ice. "Do they work?"

North nodded. "Yes!" He got up and took the toy from Jack's grip and placed it on a track nearby. He gave it a small push and soon it was moving swiftly down the track. When it came to a dead end, Jack expected it to crash to the floor only to watch as it had wings pop out from its sides and take off into the air. Jack laughed as he watched it fly around, spinning to keep his eyes on it which sparkled with joy.

North watched this with a soft smile on his face. From his morning behavior, the Guardian thought that Jack was going to close off on them and they would lose what, while little, progress made. However, this right here showed that no such thing happened. North could feel the boy's wonder grow alongside his joy and it was refreshing. One would never think that such a small amount of belief could energize the body so much, it was amazing. Just think if they could get Jack's light to glow with a full and bright light! Not only that, but think of how much happiness they could bring Jack if they could just get closer to the immortal child.

He was shaken from his thoughts when he heard a gasp from Jack and he turned to see him rushing over to a cabinet and bending down to pick up the broken train. He glanced up at North.

"Sorry, I couldn't stop it before it crashed."

"It's alright Jack." North waved it off. "Not your fault."

"I know but still." Then he hummed. "Maybe." He placed a hand on the top of the two prices of the broken train and North watched with awe as they molded back together from more ice and Jack used his finger to fix the details. After turning it in his hands for a bit, Jack handed it to the older spirit.

"It might not be the exact same." Jack mumbled rubbing the back of his head while looking away. "So, sorry."

"Sorry?" North blinked then laughed. "Do not apologize! What you just did was amazing! How did you do that?!"

"Well…I've uh sculpted before, really ever since I found I could manipulate the ice like that. I don't really know how it's done…" he trailed off reaching down to pick up the items that fell off the.

"This is stupendous!" North continued cheering. "You must sculpt with me sometime!"

"Er…yeah sure." Jack mumbled back. He saw a doll on the ground and picked it up. Turning it in his hands, he found it was a Russian nesting doll painted to look like the big man himself. "Hey, North, what's this?"

North stopped his rambling and looked over to the other and when he saw what the boy was holding, smiled softly. He walked over to him and spoke, "This represents me. It shows my layers."

"What?"

"Let me explain." North gave a chuckle. "Here, at the top, this is how you see me, no? Big and scary and intimidating." Jack smirked before opening the next one when North motioned for him to and continued. "But I'm also mysterious," Jack snorted and opened the next one. "And fearless," Ok he believed that. "And caring," That was also true. "And at my center." When Jack opened the next one, he dumped it into his hand while putting the stacked bottom pieces down.

"You're a tiny wooden baby?" Jack asked, confused.

"No, look closer." Jack did so.

"You have…big eyes?"

"Yes!" Jack jumped at the sudden loud voice and hands clamping down on his shoulders. "Big eyes! Very big! Eyes that see the wonder in everything, like lights upon trees and gifts on Christmas day. That…is my center." He looked Jack right in the eyes. "What is yours?"

"My…center?"

"Of course!" North poked his chest, right where Jack's heart would be. "It's what lies in here and makes up your being. I told you that MiM chose you to be a Guardian so that means you have something special inside that you can give to children. So? What is your center?"

"I don't know." Jack sighed.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." North smiled at him and he placed his hand on Jack's, curling the younger's fingers around the doll.

"North?"

"Keep it, something to hold on to." North then stood up and backed away. "Come, let's go get some cookies. I've been in here to long, need to get out more." He left the room, mumbling something about funny tasting cookies and elves. Back in the room, Jack looked down at the doll in his hand and smiled. Maybe, he could give this a chance.

He tightened his grip on the small figurine and left the room to follow North.

 


	11. Chapter 11

North hummed as he carried a plate of cookies to the table the Jack was waiting at. He was happy the boy had decided to join him for a snack instead of flying off somewhere in the workshop. He placed the plate of cookies before the other and then picked one up for himself to start eating. Jack raised an eyebrow at him before picking one up himself.

"Do you only eat cookies?" Jack asked with a smile.

"What? I said we would eat cookies and it is only a snack."

"Yeah but I think I've only ever seen you eat cookies and drink milk." Jack said. "I was just curious if you ate anything else."

"I do, just cookies are best food, no?" North asked with a twinkle in his eye as he turned to the other.

Jack shrugged. "I wouldn't really know, haven't had a variety of foods in the past." North frowned at that. Just another thing reminding him of their neglect towards the immortal child. He opened his mouth, prepared to say something in response the words that seemed to have been forgotten by Jack as he prepared to much on his cookie. Or, he would have if a sudden cry and a blur of color didn't come rushing forwards and knocked the cookie from Jack's pale hand.

"Wha-" Jack was cut off by Tooth sticking her fingers in his mouth.

"I can't do it anymore!" She cried. "I sat back for this long but I won't watch you risk those teeth for a cookie!" She was looking into his mouth, seemingly calming down at the sight the sugary treat had not touched his teeth.

Jack squirmed and got of her grip. He turned his wide gaze to her as he asked, "What was that about!?"

She laughed nervously while rubbing an arm. "Hehe…sorry. It's just your teeth seemed to sparkle from far away and I couldn't stop myself. They're beautiful, by the way."

"Thanks?" Jack responded and his response was another nervous laugh.

"Don't mind her, mate." Bunny said hopping up onto the table. "She's crazy." Tooth pouted at Bunny with a huff.

"Bunny! Tooth! What brings you here?" North asked with a large smile on his face.

"Well we were hoping to get something to eat seeing as we never got lunch or breakfast since you were locked up in your workshop all morning."

"What about Yetis?"

"Many of them were still sleeping." Bunny deadpanned. "The others were doing who knows what. I didn't feel like searching for them."

"But you were hungry."

"Not as much as I am now."

"You still could get your own food, yes?"

"So, what were you doing before now?" Jack cut in before the stupid argument could escalate into…something more.

"Oh not much, we were really just talking." Tooth answered. "It wasn't that important, just looking to pass the time. What about you two?"

"Not much-"

"He is brilliant with ice!" North cut the winter spirit off with his shout.

"Oh, so you two were sculpting?"

"No," Jack answered looking away. "I just happened to be in the room when one of his toy sculptures broke. I just…fixed it. Not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal?! It was amazing!" Jack sighed. There goes North again, ranting about what he did to the ice. It really was nothing, but apparently that thought did not cross the Guardian's mind as his eyes lit with wonder at the very mention of Jack's skills. He turned to look at the others and he found that both Tooth and Bunny were impressed and amazed by what the Guardian of Wonder was telling them.

"Wow, Jack," Tooth breathed. "I wish I could have seen that. It sounds amazing."

"It really nothing." Jack responded rubbing the back of his head. "Hey, don't you have things to do or something?"

"Not really." Tooth answered. "Is there anything you'd like to do? I know we asked this before but…" She trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

Jack took a deep breath and gave a smile. He said he would try to open up to them, so why not. "Sure, why not."

"Really?" Tooth said, a smile lighting up her face along with North's somehow growing wider. Bunny, however, raised an eyebrow.

"Really? And what are we going to d-" He was cut off when he was suddenly covered in snow. It was silent for a moment before the other three burst out laughing. Bunny growled. "Why you little…gah!" He dug his way out of the small pile he was buried in. Jack shot him a grin.

"Poor Cottontail, do you not like the snow?" Bunny just growled at him. "If you want to get me back, you have to catch me first!" With that he took off through the workshop.

Bunny hopped up onto North's shoulder and snapped. "Come on, let's get him!"

"I am not a pony!" North shouted while Tooth laughed at the two.

"Come on, let's get him!" They then ran in the direction Jack had gone and they soon came up to the open workshop door. The looked at each other, worry etched on their faces thinking the other had flown off. However, when they walked out, snow fell from above and onto their heads. Loud laughter had them turn to look up at the smirking Jack Frost.

"You can do better than that right?" He asked. "I mean, I understand if the little fluff ball can't but come on North and Tooth."

"Hey!" Jack just continued to laugh. Tooth and North glanced at each other before bending down to make snowballs and started aiming them at the flying winter spirit. Jack laughed and through his own snowballs back in response. And, to no surprise, Jack was incredibly good at this, his aim seemingly almost always on target. There would be times when Bunny could try to sneak up on the boy only to be drenched in snow while the others had to suffer the constant attacks of snowballs.

As this game continued, the little light upon the globe glowed brighter. It was not to the brightness of a usual light, but it bright enough and strong enough to no longer flicker from the lack of power in it. And, if the Guardians weren't so preoccupied right now, they would be able to feel the power rushing through their bodies with the strength of a mortal child's belief. To think, it wasn't even at its full strength yet.

The day wore on and soon they all stopped their game to warm up and eat. It was a very enjoyable time and Jack thought it wasn't that bad. Even Bunny, who he firmly believed would always hate his guts, was making him feel cared for. This let a warm feeling spread through him, one that was both painfully unfamiliar and familiar. He didn't know where the familiarity came from but it did leave a dull ache in his chest if he dwelled on it, so he didn't.

When they finished eating, they each decided to retire for the night. They each went to their separate room, each prepared to rest up. However, none where aware of the battle about to take place above one of their heads. As the thin, pale form closes his ice blue eyes, golden ones awaken from a dark corner of the room.

The child in the nightmare's view drifts off to sleep and the dark horse goes forwards and turns into dark sand to circle above the winter spirit's head. It reaches into the spirit's mind and latches onto a fear to feed off of. However, just as the white haired boy whimpers and his face shows his fear that begins, a flash of gold comes out of nowhere and strikes the dark sand. The nightmare is faced with the gold sand of dreams, fighting back as it tried to keep it from corrupting the last light's dreams. They both fought over the boy's mind with an equal force, however, the nightmare was unprepared for it to be forced into hitting its victim's skin and for a flash of joy to strike through it.

That was the opening the golden sand needed and it struck with great force, turning the black sand into gold. The nightmare was no more and the last light slept peacefully the rest of the night.

 


	12. Chapter 12

Golden eyes narrowed as he watched the glowing light on the metal globe. The last light had been in the hands of the Guardians for about a week now and the light had not disappeared in the slightest. There was the beginning when it flickered every so often, gaining a reaction of glee from Pitch, only for it to stay alight. While it had flickered drastically with that first nightmare he sent, it never went out. So he had tried it again the next night, but that resulted in nothing happening, the nightmare didn't even return. For the next four days he bought his time, sending another nightmare each night to see if he could gain any form of ground on the spirit.

In the end, he came out with no response. The light continued to glow, at times brighter than before or even the occasional flicker, but otherwise it stayed lit and that fact infuriated Pitch! Those blasted Guardians were gaining ground that he could not afford to lose. Pitch growled at the thought of the Guardians regaining their power because of one little light.

No. The light wasn't little. Pitch had no doubt that even now, while the light was only at half its power that the Guardians were already feeling enough of its power to build up their confidence to start up something in retaliation.

But then again, the light was only a little over half way. Pitch still had a chance to get a foot in the door and dent what little belief the Guardians had managed to build. He had a chance to smother what light appeared in a horrifying darkness. He had been holding off on getting involved directly until he found the right time to crush the Guardians once and for all. And perhaps he won't have to get involved that much. Maybe, he just needed to say a few choice words to help the boy with that decision they talked about.

With a blood curdling grin and a spine tingling laugh, Pitch faded into the shadows.

* * *

Jack sighed from where he sat up in the rafters. The past few days with the Guardians had been fun. They had done many things that helped them all grow closer to each other and Jack didn't feel uncomfortable in their presence that much anymore. Yes there were still times when he just wanted to sneak away from all of their attention but he couldn't say it was bad. He could honestly say that he felt happy day and night.

Jack furrowed his eyebrows at that. Happy at night. He thought that he would be plagued with nightmares when he slept but he wasn't. There were times when his dreams would have the beginnings of a nightmare, but it would soon vanish and a happy dream would take its place. He didn't know why this was happening but he wanted to figure out why this was happening. He would try to find something that let him know why he dreamed at night but he would always come up empty or fall asleep.

Suddenly, Jack felt the wind swirl around him, calling him outside the Pole. It's been a while since the last time he's played with the wind and delivered snow to places. Perhaps the Guardians will let him go. He hopped down from the rafters and into the wind's embrace as he flew down to the lower level, looking for one of the Guardians. As he did this, a thought of "why does he need their permission?" crossed his mind but he brushed it off. They would worry if he just up and left and he would rather not deal with their fretting over him if-more like when-they went looking for him.

Eventually he came across Tooth who was talking with one of the yetis about the amount of sugar they have or something, Jack wasn't really paying attention to that as he flew up to her.

"Hey Tooth!" He called to her, making her jump in surprise before turning to meet him.

"Hello, Jack." She greeted him with a warm smile. "How are you?"

"I'm good." He answered quickly before jumping onto the topic of his visit. "Hey, do you think I could go out for a bit?"

Tooth looked taken aback for a moment. "Go out? You mean, leave the Pole?" She bit her lip. "I don't know…"

"Oh, come on Tooth!" Jack whined. "I haven't been out in like forever! Besides, I do have to deliver snow to other places."

"But Pitch is still out there and I don't want to think of what he'll do if he finds you." She responded.

"I'll be fine Tooth," Jack said. "Besides, wind will look after me."

"I don't know…"

"Please Tooth! Just a few hours."

Tooth sighed and complied. "Alright." Then she turned serious, looking very much like a mother talking to her child. "But if you're not back here by at least dinner time-"

"Yeah, yeah mom." Jack laughed before taking to the air. As he flew out the window he shouted one last thing, "Thanks Tooth!"

Tooth watched him fly away and sighed. She really hoped nothing happened to the poor boy out there.

* * *

Jack whooped as he glided through the air. It felt nice to be free again and not confined to one place. The wind whipped past his face as he let out cheerful laughs and sped away from the Pole. It wasn't long before he was flying over cities and he let frost and ice trail where he needed it to be, with a few pranks here and there. He noticed the lack of children but let it slide to them all staying inside-even if he had a feeling he knew the real reason.

Soon he entered the familiar landscape of Burgess and the oh-so familiar lake. Even though it was spring, the lake that had become his home over the past three hundred years remained ever frozen. He didn't know why but he didn't mind. He sighed when his feet touched the ice of the lake and he placed his staff to lean on it. He closed his eyes and just relaxed in the presence of a familiar landscape.

As he did this, he couldn't help but think of how much different everything seemed as opposed to those three hundred years. Now, other spirits were bothering with him, and a majority of the attention was in a good light. They were spending time with him and looking after him. Sure it might have been all for themselves at first but Jack felt they actually meant what they were doing, not just using him. Of course there was the whole Pitch issue that came into play but if Jack forgot about him, he could almost imagine that this all happened for the fact that he was being accepted, even if that wasn't the truth behind it.

Jack could have continued like that, dwelling on the past and the present, if a voice didn't break that comforting air that had been encasing him.

"Well, it seems you've finally managed to escape those fools." A voice spoke from behind him.

Jack sighed and turned to the Nightmare King that now stood before him. "Well, if it isn't Mr. Tall, dark, and creepy. To what do I own the pleasure?"

"I just came to see what your decision on whose side you're on is." Pitch answered.

"Oh that. To be honest, it completely slipped my mind." Jack hummed as he let his gaze wander as if bored with the conversation

"Ah, well that would be understandable since during that time you were being brought under their thumbs." Pitch mussed getting Jack to snap his now icy gaze to his own golden one.

"What?"

"Did you really not notice?" Pitch asked innocently. "I wouldn't be surprised if they look a bit healthier from your growing belief. I mean, you're obviously a very good battery for them."

"Really?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow. "Are you just making guesses or are you trying to twist the way how they are simply taking the time to know me? If I was a battery, why do that?"

"As I said, to keep you under their thumbs. It obviously wouldn't do them any good if you hated them, since you wouldn't supply them with the power. They have to be close to you to make sure you wouldn't lose belief in them."

Jack was silent for a few minutes, thinking about this. Then he spoke. "…And why should I trust your word on this? For all I know, you're just saying this to gain an advantage over the others."

Pitch frowned at the response. The boy was bright but Pitch knew how to twist his words. "True, that may very well be the case, but just answer me this. Where were they before? Yes it seems like they care but they were never there before now, so why would giving you all this attention not have a hidden plan behind it? All they need to do is have you be happy with them and they get your belief, simple as that. And when that's done, you'll simply fade to the back of their minds most likely, your usefulness used up."

Pitch gave a mental smirk at the sight before him. The winter spirit was now looking at the ground with a distraught and thoughtful expression. He knew his words were slipping their way into his thoughts and that simply made him want to laugh with joy. However, he controlled himself and kept up his serious expression.

Meanwhile, Jack's mind was in turmoil. He knew that there was truth in Pitch's words, truth that spoke of the true reason the Guardians had actually come to him. And Jack knew this as well, for he had just been thinking along those lines before the other had interrupted his thoughts. He knew the Guardians only came to him simply because he was a light and that thought always caused a pain in his chest when he was forced to be aware of the reality of the situation. The wind swirled around him at his obvious distress but he did not let her carry him away from the conversation.

"…But where were you?" Jack asked, repeating his question from the last time they met. "You speak of all the times they left me, ignored me, but you are also at fault. I do not remember at any point in those three hundred years coming across you or you coming to me."

To Jack, it looked like Pitch's gaze softened in guilt as he replied. "Yes, I suppose I am also at fault here. I must apologize for in that time I had been focusing on gaining power. If I had known how lonely you were, I would have sought you out, as a kindred spirit. One who know loneliness like I do." Oh how Pitch enjoyed putting such a soft coating of lies on top of his words. He was not lying about the busy part or that he would have sought him out, only that would be for a different reason then the loneliness. If he had known how powerful and important he would have been, he would have most certainly sought him out. He continued weaving his lies.

"I'm truly sorry Jack." He weaved his little lie. "I know I am the enemy in your eyes, but even I know you should not be used like this and to only be tossed aside in the end. I want you to know that, even though in the past I didn't come for you, I'm here now. I'll say this one more time, decide whose side you're on Jack." With that, he was gone.

Jack swallowed as he stared at the place Pitch use to be. The words that he had spoken rang in his head, making it hurt and spin as he tried to make sense of what he was just told. Part of him wanted to cling to those words that Pitch had whispered to him while the other was drawn away, believing the words to be covered with poison.

And then there was what he spoke about the Guardians. Was what he said true? Jack already knew that there was a part of him that was still untrusting of the Guardians, but there was another part of him who grew to believe the kindness they were showing was actually true.

Jack let out a groan and placed a hand on his head, trying to push back the headache. The wind swirled around him and tried to offer comfort from her invisible arms. Jack let out a sigh. "It's alright wind. Just…get me out of here."

With that, the wind swept him up and carried him off.


	13. Chapter 13

It's been a day since Jack has left the Pole and the Guardians were worried. Tooth had explained the day before that she let him go out for a while, seeing no harm in it. That's what they all thought since the other was a seasonal so he deserved to go out and about for a while, it's not like he was their prisoner. However, a little after the young spirit had left, at least an hour and a half later, his light upon the globe flickered. It worried them especially since after the small flicker, one they thought would only be little, they watched and  _felt_ the power of the light dim and continue flickering. Why? What caused this?

And as much as they wanted to find him when he wasn't returning…they couldn't. They didn't have the power to do so and they could only wait for the other to return to them as they felt a weakness overcome them.

For what felt like forever, they waited for Jack to return. When the next day came around, none of them getting any sleep that night, their worry grew to a great extent. Where was Jack? Why had is belief gone down and stayed down? Was it Pitch?

"Oh this is all my fault!" Tooth cried out as she paced the floor. "I should have done something to make sure he'd be alright!"

"You never could have prepared for this Tooth." Bunny said hopping over to her.

"I know but still I-JACK!" Her sudden cry called to both North, who was studying the globe as he watched for Jack's light, and Bunny to look up. They all watched as a familiar thin figure flew closer to the windows and entered the workshop. Tooth ran forward to give him a hug only for him to back away from her. "Jack?"

"Oi," Bunny called to him. "Where have you been Frostbite?!"

"Out." Jack answered simply and stiffly. His face showed no expression as he stood before them, even his eyes were lacking and emotion that seemed to spark upon seeing them.

"Are you alright Jack?" North asked as he stepped toward him. Jack glanced at him before looking away.

"Fine." Jack once again gave a simple answer.

"Hey, what with you?!" Bunny growled at the spirit's closed off behavior.

"Nothing." Again, the one worded answer. The Guardians glanced at each other, worried about Jack's behavior. They knew something happened to make him act like this, to make him put distance between the Guardians and himself. The only thing they can be thankful for is that he actually came back and responds to their questions.

"Did something happen when you were out?" Tooth asked, "Was it Pitch?"

"…No." There was hesitation and, while it was slight, if one paid attention they would have caught it. They didn't get to dwell on it however, because soon Jack was moving, walking past them all without even a look in their direction. They watched him for a bit before scrambling to follow his retreating figure, his feet moving quickly across the floor. They followed him as he moved through the halls and to the room he had been staying in during his time here. He went into the room and, before any of the others could follow him in, he swiftly closed and locked the door.

The Guardians stared at the door in shock.

"What was that about?!" Bunny exclaimed. The others just shook their heads, having no idea to what had happened.

"It was Pitch," Tooth whispered with a hiss to her voice. "I just know it."

"Then we need to confront him!" Bunny argued.

"No." North shook his head. "We should not force him. He is not our prisoner nor will we make him do things he doesn't want to do. We'll leave him alone right now, unless it is important." With that, he motioned for them to follow them away from the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jack was groaning in frustration upon his bed. After his conversation with Pitch yesterday, he had spent his time trying to forget it. He had flown around delivering snow and having fun until it wasn't long until he had nothing to do and the questions began bubbling within his mind. Did Pitch speak the truth? Were the Guardians really just using him? Was Pitch just lying so he, instead, could just use him? And many more questions after that, causing him to hide, not wanting to deal with the Guardians.

He wished he could just disappear and not have to choose, but he knew that wasn't possible now. No, he was now the one who would make a choice that would effect a much bigger result. If he vanished or lost what belief he, somehow, had in the Guardians, Pitch would win. And as much as Jack wanted to go seek out the darker spirit and accept that offer of comfort, he couldn't because of one simple thing. The children. If he sought out Pitch, he would make sure he lost all of his belief in the Guardians making it impossible for any faith in the Guardians to come back and bring joy to the kid. Jack couldn't do it, because no one believed in him. The only thing he could do was keep the Guardians alive so they could fight off Pitch and help the kids.

But then, Pitch might also offer him the chance of being believed in. The Guardians didn't help with that, but Pitch might. However, just as Jack thought this, he shook his head. No, it would never work. Pitch wanted all the children to be afraid while Jack wanted them to be happy. In the most likely option, Pitch would just make them all fear Jack, not believe in him. Again he let out a groan of frustration. This was all hurting his head. As much as those three hundred years alone had hurt, he almost wished for it all back instead of all this craziness.

Jack laid back on the bed. He almost wanted to take the easy option and go with Pitch. That way he could just slink away after Pitch is done with the Guardians and go back to his simple life. He sighed. His mind was on a roller-coaster of thoughts and he just wanted this all to stop. Everything to stop.

Then, he caught something out of the corner of his eye.


	14. Chapter 14

North gave a sigh as he walked past the locked room of Jack Frost. The boy had barricaded himself within the room for quite some time now and none of the Guardians had the strength to break in there, not even the yetis could break through. This worried them all since they had not received a word from him since he returned to the pole, nor have they seen him. They have tried knocking on the door and calling out to Jack, but they never received an answer.

He continued his journey through the halls and soon he entered the Globe Room which was where the others were waiting. They were silently sitting there, both minds filled with worry and questions, however, they looked up when North entered the room.

"Is he still in there?" Tooth asked and he knew what she meant.

"Yes." North sighed as he sank down into his own chair, which each had been brought in the room for them. "Or at least, I believe so." That was another thing. With Jack hidden away like this, they didn't even know if he'd snuck out a window or something of the like.

"We got to get to him eventually, North." Bunny said, looking up at the larger Guardian. "There's no telling what could be happening to him and we need to talk to him before whatever Pitch said sinks into his head even more than it already has."

"North, Bunny's right." Tooth said. "There's no telling what Pitch might do next or when he'll attack again."

"Yes, I do move rather silently don't I. Like a shadow." A velvety voice spoke. The Guardian's gasped and turned to see Pitch looking down at them from the globe. He gave them a smirk. "You all look  _awful_ by the way."

"Pitch!" Bunny growled as they all shot up from their chairs.

"Why are you here Pitch?" North growled from where he stood, leaning on his chair.

"Oh just coming to see how your all swimming in defeat before I finish you all off." He hummed. "Where's Frost, by the way. I don't see him in here."

"You will not go near him!" Tooth screamed. "You and those poisoned words of yours!"

Pitch raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes well, I don't believe you have the ability to keep me away from him, seeing as you can all barely stand as it is. I wonder why that is." He mumbled the last part as his eyes drifted down to the only light as it flickered on and off. It seems his words did reach the child's head. His smile grew at that thought

The Guardian's caught where his eye was looking and their anger grew even more. "Pitch-"

"As much as I'd  _love_ to continue our little talk, I'm afraid I'd like to finish my job now before anything else." He said turning back to them. "Goodbye, Guardians."

With that nightmares appeared from the shadows behind Pitch, rushing forward and merging into a giant wave of black sand. The Guardians, knowingly unable to take on this enemy, waited for the hit and pain. As it closed in on them, the closed their eyes and shuffled closer to each other. They waited for the hit, waiting…waiting…

Nothing.

Opening their eyes, they found Jack standing in front of them, shooting a bolt of ice at the nightmares before crossing his arms and staring up at Pitch.

"Ah! There you are! I was wondering where you were Jack." The nightmares stopped their advance as Pitch came to stand before Jack.

"Yeah well, I had a lot to think about, no thanks to you." Jack replied with a roll of his eyes. "I honestly thought you'd give me more time to think before starting the party."

"I apologize, Frost," Pitch said with a mock apology. "But I thought you'd come to a conclusion faster than it seems you had. Though, if you have made up your mind, you can clearly see you haven't missed much."

"What are you two talking about!?" Bunny exclaimed, fed up listening to their banter about something they didn't understand.

"What, you mean you don't know?" Pitch asked, shock on his face. "You mean Jack never told you of our conversations?"

"Pitch." Jack warned, narrowing his eyes.

"They have a right to know, seeing as they are part of the decision." Pitch said. Jack didn't reply so Pitch continued. "You see a while ago, me and Jack had a chat. I simply explained to him how I was sorry about not coming towards him before now and how he had to choose a side in this battle. I expressed how my arms were always open, unlike a certain few who were just using him for their own power gain."

"That's not true!" Tooth shouted. "Don't listen to him, Jack! He's just lying!"

"And how does he know you are not?" Pitch asked. "You ignored him for three hundred years, even when he was a light on the globe. Wait, no you never even took the time to know that he was on the globe. You tossed him aside without a second thought. You never took any time in giving him something good, only yelling and attacking him when you came across him." Bunny winced at the comment. "Even your dear leader ignored him as soon as he was created."

"You knew when I came out of the lake?" Jack gasped turning his gaze to Pitch.

"Yes, I could feel your fear and I would have sought you out had I not been trapped within my home." Pitch responded with a gentle look.

"Shut up Pitch!" Bunny shouted. He would have gone up to the other had they not been kept in place by nightmare sand. It was hidden, just holding down their feet, but Jack wouldn't notice with the conversation going on.

"Jack," Pitch said coming closer to place his hands on Jack's shoulders, ignoring how the younger tensed up at the touch. "What would I gain in lying to you? I would gain nothing but distrust from you and I wouldn't want that. I have spoken nothing but truths to you." His words were sweet as they slipped into Jack's mind. While he heard those sweet little lies, the Guardians scowled at the snake like hisses being implanted in his mind.

"Jack, please listen to us!" Tooth cried out. "We are so, so sorry that we left you alone and we want to do anything to make up for it! We aren't just using you to stay alive, we honestly want to get to know you and take back everything you were forced to go through alone. Pitch is the one who is lying, not us."

"Well Jack?" Suddenly Pitch's hands were gone from his shoulders and he was now standing a little ways from him. "It's your choice. Have you decided whose side you're on?"

Jack stood there, his head down as he thought about all that was said here. He could hear them, both voices ringing through his ears, trying to make him chose their side. Both were convincing, both held a truth deep down inside, even if lies sugar-coated the top. He knew what he decided would effect this battle in different ways. He knew there was one calling to him more than the other. He also knew which side he was on.

He lifted his head and turned to look at the Guardians who were watching with wide eyes. He gave them all a smirk before he turned and faced Pitch. With his smirk never faltering on his face he took a step forward.

"I have."

 


	15. Chapter 15

_He lifted his head and turned to look at the Guardians who were watching with wide eyes. He gave them all a smirk before he turned and faced Pitch. With his smirk never faltering on his face he took a step forward._

_"I have."_

* * *

"Jack?!"

"Oi! What are you doing Frostbite?!"

"Would you all shut up!" Pitch snapped. "The boy made his decision."

"You all jump to conclusions too quickly." Jack said with a laugh making everyone in the room go quiet.

"What do you mean?" Pitch asked.

"What I mean, is that, yeah I made a decision, but I never said what it was now did I?" Jack said his smile growing on his face and eyes shining with mirth.

"Would you care to say it out loud then?" Pitch asked with a raised eyebrow. What was that boy doing? He did chose his side, right?

"Gladly!" The winter spirit chirped back. "I would just like to say that, Pitch, I would love to be on your side of the war." This made Pitch smile and the Guardians to frown in sorrow.

"But," That made them all stop as he continued. "I do have to draw a line when it comes to certain things. Sure, you offer me your friendship and that's nice and all, but you've done things I don't agree with. Like how you, oh I don't know, killed Sandy and attempted to kill me? Yeah, still haven't forgiven you for that."

They all stared in shock at him, not expecting him to act this way or even decide this course of action. They just watched as he babbled on about how he didn't appreciated being killed and would rather like for it not to happen.

"Oh yeah and another thing." Jack said turning to Pitch, narrowing his eyes. "You are threatening the children."

"But they can't even see you, so why care." Pitch said. "However, I'll help you get seen by them."

Jack scoffed. "Yeah right. You'd make them afraid of me, and that's not what I want. I don't care if they can see me or not. They shouldn't live in a world of fear. That is where I draw the line."

Silence. No one moved, no one spoke. The only sounds were their breathing and the occasional whine of an impatient nightmare. The Guardians stared at Jack, but his attention was not on them. No, he was currently glaring at Pitch who just stared back with his own shocked eyes. Then they narrowed in response and Pitch stood up straight.

"Very well," He said. "I had been hoping you would choose the right side in this war, but it appears I hoped for too much. Oh well, there are other ways to snuff out your light."

"Ooh, touchy." Jack teased with a smirk. Pitch just glared even more and, with a snap of his fingers, the nightmares charged once more.

Jack reacted quickly, forming a barrier around him and the Guardians just as he had done all those days ago. He turned to them, but this time with a smile instead of a glare, and asked. "Are you just going to stand there or can you help me out here?"

"If you didn't notice were kind of trapped to the floor here." Bunny answered. "And how can we fight like this?"

Jack shrugged as he sent a trail of ice to the bonds on their feet. "I don't know. But you're the Guardians right? If you don't stand up to Pitch now, what happens to the children?" The ice broke the sand and the Guardians turned to Jack as he continued.

"I don't know about you, but I believe you guys can do this."

That's when they felt it. It rushed through their veins and spread through their entire body. They felt their strength return to them as if they just gained back over a hundred believers, maybe even more. Wings fluttered and limbs grew. They each returned to their powerful selves, if not but a bit weaker than usual. This was the belief of the immortal child, the last light, and they didn't even know if it could grow any more than this, but it felt like it could. Upon the globe, the single light grew and glowed. They looked over at Jack to see him smirking.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" He asked getting a glare from Bunny. He laughed. "Alright, get ready for I'm taking down the wall!" With quick action they each obtained their weapons and, with a nod to Jack, got in a ready position. Jack turned back to the ice shield he had up and counted down. "On three! One, two," He watched for an opening. "THREE!"

The dome shattered and the Guardians charged out. They clashed with the nightmares and the battle had begun. Jack laughed as he froze and shattered the nightmares and every so often touched the black sand with his fingers, letting the sand secretly change and vanish, no one else noticing as they were too caught up in battle.

Pitch, who had retreated back to the top of the globe, watched as the Guardians attacked with their regained strength alongside with Yetis and Jack Frost. He sneered at the sight of the boy as he destroyed his nightmares with the power he welded. If only the boy had chosen his side. With that thought, he turned his head to glare at the brightly lit light on the globe near his feet. He moved his foot and stepped on it, imagining that he was taking out the light even as his glowed mockingly beneath his foot.

"That's not very nice." A voice pouted. "All it was doing was glowing, but you had to go ahead and step on it."

"Frost." Pitch growled, turning to the boy.

"Could you please take your foot off of me?" He asked gesturing to the light. "I'd very much like to keep shining, even if your jealousy is so strong that you have to block it from your eyes."

"You're a fool, Frost."

"And you're sorely jealous."

"Don't think this will get you anywhere. You're a fool to choose the Guardians and to let your belief grow in them."

"I think I chose a good side I mean, at least North has cookies-WOAH!" Jack dodged a swing of scythe.

"There are many ways to snuff out lights, Jack, I just have to find how to snuff out yours." With that, Pitch jumped at Jack swinging his scythe at his neck. Jack ducked and dropped to the floor, quickly finding that Pitch had followed after him. He shot a bolt of ice at the other only to watch as Pitch sunk into the shadows to avoid it. As he looked for Pitch, he heard the wind shout to him about turning around and when he did, he found Pitch bringing his scythe down on him. Jack threw his staff up to hold it off as it struck.

"Just give up!" Pitch hissed as he leaned in close to Jack.

"Never." Jack shot back before he picked up a foot and stomped it down on the ground, causing ice to spread on contact. It moved quickly and began to crawl up Pitch's legs, encasing him in ice.

Pitch growled at the attack and moved to break out of the ice, only to have Jack hit him with his staff and let more ice spread across his body. Pitch tried to break out of it but it continued to spread and strengthen and soon all but his head was encased in ice.

"Frost!"

"Play nicely next time you fight the Guardians alright?" Jack said with a smirk. "But until then, bye!" With a tap to his head, ice completely encased the darker spirit. Jack smiled before turning to the nightmares that had been watching him and Pitch fight.

"Alright, who wants to go first!?" Jack called to them. Suddenly there was a creaking behind him and he turned only to be blown on his back as the ice encasing Pitch exploded outward. Jack let out a cry as he hit the ground and, before he could get back up, nightmare sand was holding down his wrists, though strangely not daring to touch skin, and his staff was kicked away.

"You really didn't think you'd be able to hold me in there did you?" Pitch asked as he came to stand above him. "I am powerful enough to escape from your petty prison." Then he formed a scythe in his hands and positioned it above Jack. "But now it's time to say goodbye to the last light." Jack was about to brace himself for the blow when he suddenly saw something behind Pitch and laughed.

"Wow nice timing! Hey Pitch, you might want to recalculate. Because I do believe there is more than one light on the globe."

"WHAT!?" The scythe vanished as he spun to look at the globe. The boy was right. There were at least ten more lights on the globe and more continued to appear each second. "How is this possible!?" He exclaimed in rage. The Guardians had caught sight of the globe as well and each gained a smile on their faces. Even from where he was on the ground, Jack could see more power returning to the Guardians each time a light lit up on the globe.

"I must say, Sandy and the fairies can work fast." Jack commented gaining everyone's attention. He smiled. "I guess I don't need to be sneaky about it anymore." With that, he bent his hands inward and touched the sand restraining him, watching it turn gold and vanish out the window.

"How is this possible!?" Pitch repeated turning his blazing eyes on Jack as the winter spirit picked up his staff. "What did you do!?"

"Me?" Jack asked pointing to himself. "Oh I didn't do anything besides turning the sand back to gold and supplying the Guardians with belief. Sandy on the other hand did all that." The wind ruffled his hair. "Right, and Wind found the fairies so they could also help Sandy out."

"Sandy?" North breathed. "But Sandy's-"

"Dead?" Jack continued. "Well, he was but then I found out I could do this," He poked a nearby nightmare, watching it turn golden. "And that Sandy was already back, keeping nightmares away from me."

"But how?" Tooth asked.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love to explain how I found this out and our big elaborate plan to get belief back. However, I do believe we have a bad guy to take care of first."

Jack flashed Pitch a grin, only causing him to be infuriated more and he formed a scythe and once more attacked Jack. Once that happened, the nightmares began to attack the Guardians once more, keeping them from the battle in the center of the nightmares.

Pitch attacked with vicious intent as he aimed for killing the winter spirit that danced out of the way of his attacks.

"Now, why are you trying to kill me Pitch?" Jack asked avoiding another attack and shooting ice at the other. "I did nothing to YOU! Wow that was a close one!"

"Would you shut up and stand still?!" Pitch growled at him.

"I'd rather not, if you don't mind." Jack said. "However, it wouldn't really matter much since I always bounce back."

"Well then," Suddenly, Pitch was gone and black sand surrounded Jack. He tried to find the shadow spirit, but he couldn't see through the swarm of shadows and sand. Then there was a voice in his ear.

"Let's see if you can bounce back from this."

Pain. That's what struck him as soon as those words left Pitch's lips. He looked down to see a blade of sand vanishing from his abdomen. His hands went to his stomach and it felt wet went he touched it. Bringing his hand up to his eyes, he could see a dark liquid staining his pale fingers. Jack didn't notice when the shadows and sand were gone, for darkness was still in his vision as it began to blur. He thought he heard someone call his name and a laugh somewhere in there but he couldn't be sure with how muffled it was.

Jack felt someone take him in there arms, he could feel it through the numbness taking over his limbs. Again, someone was calling his name and a shot of pain went through him when something pressed down on his wound. He let out a sound of objection at it, but the person didn't listen.

As things began to disappear, he found his eyes growing heavy. That sounded like a good idea, to sleep. Yeah he'll do just that. He let his heavy eyelids close and he found himself drifting in blissful darkness.


	16. Chapter 16

"JACK!"

Bunny bounded over the nightmares and caught the boy before he hit the ground. He heard Pitch laugh and the others shout at him, but he didn't pay any attention to that. His attention was solely on the figure in his arms. Blue eyes stared blankly upward, occasionally flicking slightly to a side. There was a dark stain on the front of his hoodie and Bunny gagged when he felt a cold liquid covering his paws.

"Jack, Jack listen to me. Stay awake, ok?" Bunny said trying to stay calm, but how could he when the boy was bleeding out on him. "Y-You're going to be ok…just hold on."

Jack didn't respond. His eye lids had lowered a bit more and his breathing was becoming shallow. Bunny was pressing down on the wounds to try and hold back the bleeding and he was granted a whimper of objection from the winter spirit.

"Sh, it's going to be fine Jack, you're going to be…to be just fine." He choked up in the middle of that.

"Bunny!" The Guardian of Hope looked up in time to see North's coat fall to him. He quickly pressed it to the wounds instead of his hands and looked in North's direction.

"Get him to the infirmary! Now!" North cried as he destroyed any nightmares that tried to get over to the two. Swallowing down his fear, Bunny gave a determined nod and turned back to Jack. He felt the fear renew itself when he found the boy had his eyes closed. But he didn't freak out, for he heard the shallow breathing and knew he needed to get Jack help, even if that meant leaving the battle to the others. He lifted Jack into his arms, momentarily pausing at how light the other was, before looking around for an opening. He found none, especially with how Pitch was standing atop the globe once more as he let his eyes wonder over the battle and a certain flickering light, and tapped his foot on the ground. It opened up a tunnel and he jumped down it.

Soon, he was entering another part of the pole and rushed through the halls. Every so often he would look down at the spirit in his arms, only to find no change. He was praying the boy wouldn't die before he reached the medical ward.

It felt like hours, when it was really only a few minutes, when he finally reach the infirmary. He rushed Jack inside and placed him on one of the beds before looking around for all the supplies he'd need. Luckily, Bunny knew how to tend to wounds from the many years he's lived so it wasn't long before he found all the needed supplies and got to work on the boy. He cut off the sweater so it wouldn't get in the way. After that he quickly, or as fast as he could go, began to stitch up and clean the stab wound. Then he cleaned away all the blood on the boy before wrapping him tightly in gauze and moving him to a new and clean bed.

Moving a chair over to the bed side, Bunny sighed as he looked over the boy. Jack didn't deserve this. He had done nothing to deserve any of this. The three hundred years of being alone, being dragged into this war, or any pain he had to suffer up to this point. He knew he could have headed back to the battle, but thinking these thoughts and watching the form in the bed, he couldn't leave him alone. Not again and not now. Lying his head on the bed, he closed his eyes.

* * *

A bang woke him up and he turned to see North and Tooth entering the room along with a third party. Sandy. At the sight of him Aster got up with a smile and embraced the other, even if he usually wasn't one for hugs.

"Sandy!" He cheered. "You're a sight for sore eyes!"

When they released the hug, Sandy gave the other a wide smile and a nod as if agreeing it was great to be back.

"Wait, what happened to Pitch?" Bunny asked.

"Sandy came in and scared him off." North said with a slight smile. "When Pitch saw him, he ran like chicken as soon as Sandy would destroy his nightmares and we ended up winning." Then his smile left his face. "Well most of us. Jack…"

Bunny's smile left his face and he turned to look towards the bed were the bone white spirit lay. Tooth, who had not seen what happened during the battle, and Sandy gasped when they saw the young spirit, instantly rushing to his side.

"What happened!?" Tooth exclaimed alongside Sandy who had formed an exclamation mark and question mark above his head.

"Pitch got him." Bunny responded. "I rushed him here as fast as I could and patched him up before…anything happened. I haven't left his side since."

"I can tell, you still have his…you haven't cleaned your fur yet." North couldn't bring himself to that Jack's blood still coved Bunny's fur. It was simply to heart breaking to think this child had been so close to death and could possibly still be waiting outside its door.

Bunny looked down at himself and blinked at the dried blood. He hadn't even thought about that as he focused on keeping Jack from dying. However, looking at it now, he could almost feel the liquid once again dripping onto his form. He could almost see Jack once more in his arms, eyes staring upward with no real focus.

"R-Right." He choked out. "I'll go clean myself up. I'll take your coat as well, North." He didn't wait for a response as he grabbed the coat, which was still on the bloodied bed, and headed out of the room.

Silence hung in the air along with the thick tension that was only cut through by the soft breathing of the people in the room.

"That monster." Tooth hissed, breaking the silence in the room so suddenly and so harshly the other two looked at her. "How dare he do this to my little Sweet Tooth. If I ever find him again I'll knock out every one of his teeth and skin him alive." Her fairies, which had returned with help of the wind and Sandy along with the teeth, chirped in agreement with her. That man was horrible and rotten.

Neither of the other two Guardians objected to her comment. Sandy was running his hand through Jack's hair while North had taken up Bunny's vacated seat. Once again, there was a silence in the air. But this time no one disturbed it. There would be an occasional shift from one of them or maybe a Yeti taking care of the soiled sheets but other than that they were silent. When Bunny joined them once more, he too took part in the silence. They each listened to their breaths, taking comfort in the simple fact that they were all here and  _alive_. No one was dead yet and that was all they could hope for.

Now, they just needed Jack to wake up.


	17. Chapter 17

It's been almost three days since the battle and since then, the Guardians had worked on restoring belief. Also during that time, Jack hadn't woken up. They would visit his unconscious body over the course of the days, hoping to MiM that he'd wake up but it never happened. They were all afraid that he'd never wake up and they'd lose him now that they just begun to bring him into their lives.

It was near the end of the third day, when Bunny was sitting in the medical room next to Jack's bed did something happen. The Guardian stretched and was prepared to leave when a shift was heard from the bed. Bunny froze and for a moment, thought it was only his hope getting to him, when he heard it again. Turning around, Bunny watched when he saw one of Jack's hands shift and form into a fist before uncurling, as if it expected to grip something. The winter spirit's brow furrowed and his eye lids shifted and fluttered, tying to open.

"Jack?" Bunny called in shock. "Jack!" As he rushed to the bed side, Yetis outside poked their heads in only for Bunny to snap at them. "Go get the others!"

He turned back to Jack seeing his head shift slightly and his hand clench again. Putting his own hand on the cold, clenching one, and called again. "Jack! Come on, wake up Jack!"

* * *

It was dark. It was like this for a while but that had been a nice, peaceful darkness where he had just floated in numb nothingness. Now, the darkness seemed to have something hidden behind it and there was a dull pain in his abdomen. It was uncomfortable and there was also something in his arm he felt.

He moved his hand, only to find that extremely hard and he only got his fingers to move. He curled them in, prepared to feel familiar wood to offer him comfort in such a place, only to grab nothing and just making fist. What? Where was his staff?

He furrowed his eyebrows and once again tried, only to find this made everything to press past the numb darkness. He shifted his head and in the process heard something. It was a voice, familiar but unrecognizable. It was calling a name…his name. What? Why? He wanted to understand where he was and what was going on but he actually needed to leave the remainder of the darkness. He moved his eyes and found he had to open them. He struggled with opening them and when he got them slightly open, he was met with a bright light above him making him let out a soft cry.

* * *

"Jack! Can you hear me? Come on, you can do it Jack!" Bunny called to the other seeing blue appearing behind a small slit in his formally closed eyes. They closed again when they met the light that was keeping the room lit while Bunny had been in here. Bunny continued to call and soon he saw the eyes opening again, slowly getting used to the light in the room.

Blue eyes slowly moved over to Bunny's face as Jack tried to recognize the person-er-rabbit before him. He knew him but he didn't remember from where. He moved his eyes to look down at his arm, only to see a tube going into it with a clear liquid being transmitted through it.

"Jack?" Blue eyes once again drifted back to the Guardians and blinked sluggishly at him, trying to bring the name to his mind. After a few moments, the name finally came to mind and Jack parted his dry lips.

"…B-B…Bu-ny?" Jack croaked out, his voice dry and cracked from disuse.

Bunny let out a sigh. "Great to have you back, Frostbite." Jack furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. What? Back? Where had he gone? What was going on and why was Bunny…relieved for him?

However, before he could ask any of these questions swirling in his head, the door was thrown open and three colorful blurs came rushing at him.

"Jack!" They all cried to the boy's confusion.

"You are finally awake! Fantastic!" North exclaimed alongside Sandy who was clapping with joy.

"Oh, Jack, I'm so happy you're alright!" Tooth exclaimed as she came up to him. "We were so afraid you wouldn't wake up! I mean it was three days! Oh but you're awake now, my little Sweet Tooth, you're alright. Pitch is lucky you're awake because I wouldn't have bothered to stay back and wait for you to wake up. I would have hunted him down and skinned him down until there wasn't even a shadow left of him! But it's ok now, a little bit, since you're awake!"

Jack just stared at her, and the others but mostly Tooth, with wide eyes. Sweet Tooth? Pitch? Three days? None of this was making sense to his sluggish mind and he wanted answers to all this weird activity.

"Stop!" He cried getting them all to be quiet from his cracked voice. "What are you all talking about?!"

Their faces changed from joy to concern in seconds as his lost eyes went to each of them. They could see the confusion in them as he gasped for breath from his shout.

"You mean, you don't remember?" Tooth asked.

"Remember what?" Jack gasped out.

"Jack, Pitch had stabbed you, aiming to get rid of the last light. You almost didn't make it, but I rushed you here before we lost you." Bunny answered the winter spirits question, watching as the boy took it all in. "You were out for three days because of it and during that time we never left your side."

Jack blinked at the information before he searched his mind for any reminder. He went over the words he heard and finally, he remembered. He remembered being declared the last light upon the globe of belief as well as a Guardian. He remembered his meetings with Pitch and his time with the Guardians. He remembered the battle and Pitch's words to him before he stabbed him.

He let out a gasp of surprise and jerked in bed at the impact of the memories, only to fall back on the bed with a cry of pain. He heard the others' worried words but he didn't care about them at the moment. No, now that the other questions were answered, there was one in his head now.

"Y-You saved me." He choked out through his pained breaths. "W-Why?"

"What do you mean "why" Jack?" North asked.

"Because," Jack answered. "Why would I matter now that all the other lights are back? Why didn't you just leave me?"

Sadness took over the Guardians' faces along with guilt clashing in. It was their fault the boy would believe them to leave him to die when the other lights would glow. It was there fault for they had left him alone for so long and a week was not the same to three hundred years.

"Jack," Bunny said as he got the younger spirit to look at him. "I know we left you alone for so long and that it will take so long to make up for that time. But you need to know that you've made an impact upon all of us now, and we could never forget you now. We're not going to leave you alone anymore, you're not going to  _be_  alone anymore. Never again."

Jack stared at him. He had no words as he turned to look at the other Guardians who nodded in agreement. A choked sob came from him and tears welled in his eyes. He had said he wouldn't cry in front of them anymore, but he couldn't hold this back. These are words he's been waiting to hear over for the past three hundred years. He's wanted to belong somewhere, not just have the occasional visit. He wanted people to accept him and get rid of that ever present emptiness. And here it was, being presented in front of him and it was overwhelming.

As the Guardians were focused on calming down their child, for they have declared him to be their child, upon the globe a light grew. This light had always been flickering and growing but even when it had shinned brightly, it was never at its full strength. But now, it shinned with everything it had.

Finally, something good has come to live within this time.

But, one also says it is always calm before the storm.


	18. Chapter 18

"Oh, come on! Let me at least try!"

"I don't know Jack."

Ever since Jack had woken up a few days ago, the others have kept him in bed at the Pole. He wanted to try walking around, but since his wound would still hurt with his movements, they had restricted him to bed rest. As much as Jack liked the idea that there were people who actually cared about him now, he was not one to stay in one place for long, injury or not. He had finally gotten sick of the boredom about almost a week later and was currently pestering Tooth about letting him walk around.

"I'll be fine! It's no longer bleeding and it's almost a scar now so it shouldn't matter much if the stitches tear!"

"It will matter, Jack, besides does it still hurt?"

"Well…yeah, but it is going to hurt for a while, besides, isn't me getting back to walking supposed to be healing?" With that he looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes. Tooth tried to resist the look as they had done in the past, but to no avail.

"Fine!" She finally relented

"Yes!" Jack cheered, throwing his hands up in the air in victory, ignoring the tinge of pain that came from the stretching abdomen.

"But!" Tooth broke in making the other look at her. "I don't want you flying yet, since we don't even know how long you can walk. Also, if you start to get tired or it starts to hurt, I want you to rest and inform one of us so we can make sure nothing happened to it."

Jack wanted to interject that he knew how to take care of his own wounds over the past three hundred years but decided against it. He didn't want to hurt her feelings after all she and the other Guardians had done for him over the past days.

He gave a nod to Tooth. "Alright. But I still get my staff right?"

Tooth sighed and grabbed the staff that had been leaning by his bedside for days. "Yes, but  _no flying_  is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" Jack replied with a mock solute before take the staff from her. He put it on the ground and began to shimmy himself out of bed, waving off Tooth every time he winced from his wound. He placed his feet on the floor, preparing to stand up and when he did…

He just fell right back down.

"Jack!" Tooth caught him before he hit the floor.

"I'm fine. My legs are just asleep." Jack responded as he worked on getting feeling back in his legs. When he said he was good, Tooth reluctantly let him go and he began to stand up once more, more or less leaning on his staff. He began to take a step forward and another and another, before he had confidence he could walk for a while. He wouldn't deny there was that lingering pain in his abdomen, but he was not going to tell Tooth that, not when he wasn't even out of the room yet.

"Where are the others?" Jack asked.

"North's office, coming up with ways to help with belief currently." Tooth replied. She got a nod in response and Jack began walking to the office with Tooth at his side. He understood that they were busy planning about what to do about the children and belief, as well as, if he had to guess, Pitch. He didn't know what happened to the Nightmare King, the others refused to tell him while he was healing. But then again, in retaliation, Jack withheld the story of his and Sandy's plan until he was better-Sandy unable to do so because Jack made him swear to let him do it.

As he and Tooth neared the doors to the office, they could hear North and Bunny's voices inside.

"We just need to track him down! Besides, you can do that easily with rabbit skills."

"It's not that easy, mate. May I remind you that he controls  _shadows_? Shadows are not the easiest things to track!"

"But you can do it! I know you can! Besides, once he is found, the faster we can deal with him."

"Look, I want to find him as quickly as possible, so does Sandy and Tooth, but that does not mean we do things that can't be done!"

Jack, having enough of just eavesdropping, pushed open the door before Tooth could stop him. The other's turned to him as he entered and Jack raised an eyebrow at them.

"You were talking about Pitch." It was not a question.

"Jack!" North cheered as both Bunny and Sandy gave sheepish smiles. "It is good to see you up and about!"

"You were talking about Pitch." Jack repeated, once again not asking.

"Er…yes, but you should not worry about that right now-"

"Yes I should." Jack interrupted. "Look I know you want to keep me safe, but I'm a part of this. I'm not going to just sit ideally by the side now because I'm hurt, not when he is still out there and a threat. I'm walking right now, so I think its ok for you to tell me what happened, plus, I'll tell you about me and Sandy."

They seemed to be contemplating it. He knew how much they wanted to protect him now, but they need to learn that was not how he rolled.

"Alright!" North finally said. "We will tell you, besides, Manny did make you Guardian before all this happened, even if it is unofficial."

Jack blinked. Right, he had forgotten about North saying he was a Guardian, being much more focused on the "Last Light" part of their confrontation and the fact that he had to keep believing if he wanted the Guardians to live while Pitch was looking to kill him. Yeah, easily forgotten. And, honestly, sure he protected the Guardians from death, but he wasn't sure if that made him a Guardian. He didn't even bring back the kids belief, only came up with the idea for their plan.

"Right." He finally said, getting looks from the others. "Look, just explain what happened to Pitch and then I'll explain what happened between me and Sandy."

"Alright." Tooth said with a nod from Bunny and Sandy. She turned to the others who nodded for her to explain. "Well, while Bunny was rushing you to the medical ward, we were busy fighting Pitch and his nightmares. We could see Pitch once again just watching us fight, avoiding us when we went to attack him personally, when he suddenly gasped and looked to the window. There we saw Sandy flying in with his arms crossed." Tooth giggled. "It was pretty funny when he started destroying nightmares, Pitch looked like he'd seen a ghost."

"Then he ran like chicken!" North exclaimed. "So scared he ran to shadows and we were able to destroy most of army." Jack burst out laughing at the thought of Pitch running away with a hilarious look on his face.

"Sadly, we haven't been able to find him." Bunny spoke up past all the laughing. "That's what we were trying to decide on when you came in."

Jack, who had stopped laughing by now, turned to Sandy. "Don't you remember where the entrance to Pitch's lair was? I mean, you did help the fairies."

Sandy shook his head and made a hole with stuff covering it out of his sand.

"It was blocked off?" Jack translated getting a nod. "Then I guess I'll ask the wind to find another entrance."

A cough sounded through the room and Jack turned to see Bunny looking at him expectantly.

"What?"

"You going to explain your story now, mate?" Bunny asked.

Jack sighed. "It'll be longer than yours."

"We have the time."

"Then, I'll start." Jack said, "So it went like this…"

* * *

_Jack lay on his bed. He almost wanted to take the easy way option and go with Pitch. That way he could just slink away after Pitch was done with the Guardians and go back to his simple life. He sighed. His mind was on a roller-coaster of thoughts and he just wanted this all to stop. Everything to stop._

_Then he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Sitting up once more, he turned to the spot between the bed and window. He moved closer to it and looked into the crack only to find nothing. Maybe he was imagining things. Shaking his head, Jack believed he was really going crazy. He was sitting in his room, wanting things to return to normal and now he was thinking he just saw gold sand disappear past his sight. He knew for a fact this was crazy be all the gold sand was gone, because Sandy was…gone as well._

_Thinking about Sandy was not helping his mood at all. He knew snow was falling from his ceiling, but he didn't care. With that thought, he smashed his face into the pillow in his hand and let out a groan. Then everything was silent and he heard it. It was very soft, one wouldn't have been able to hear it unless you were like Bunny or like Jack who was aware of things around him as well as used to talking to the wind._

_Lifting his head, Jack turned to the spot he heard the noise, which was upon the small desk he had in here. He didn't have anything in here, but there was a small mirror upon the desk. Climbing off the desk as quietly as he could, Jack tip toed over to the desk._

_"Ah-HA…huh." Jack stared at the empty spot behind the mirror. He felt a tap on his shoulder and he waved it off only for it to happen again. He glance at the figure over his shoulder and sighed. "Not now, Sandy I…" It clicked in and he slowly turned to the small figure. He blinked one more time before his eyes widened._

_"SANDY!?" Jack exclaimed, struggling to stay in place as he faced the other, not knowing if he wanted to jump away out of shock or go forward and embrace the smaller figure. "Sandy? You're here? H-How!?...I-I mean…you di-ied or…that's what they said. D-Did they lie…or…what? I-" Sandy waved his hands, motioning for Jack to calm down and sit down. Jack did as instructed and sat down but he continued to stare at Sandy in shock. When Sandy found Jack had calmed down enough he motioned for the boy to talk._

_"How or why are you here? Not that I don't want you here I just mean that-" Jack was cut off when Sandy placed his hands on his shoulders and smiled. He pointed at Jack then with a smile._

_Jack blinked in confusion and Sandy pointed to the floor and then at Jack._

_"You're here because of me?" Sandy nodded at Jack's response. "How though?"_

_Sandy then showed a small picture of Jack and a nightmare. Jack's hand touched the horse and it turned into sand and went out the window. Then it showed Jack sleeping and the sand coming back to destroy another nightmare and the sand grew in size._

_"I changed the sand back?" Jack blinked, understanding the Sandman's language just more in disbelief. "Why can I do that?"_

_Sandy showed a globe with lights._

_"Because I'm a believer." Jack breathed. Then he gasped. "Sandy, we could save the belief of more children!"_

_A question mark._

_"Ok, so it's obvious that Pitch will be attacking the Guardians soon, so when he does I want you and Wind to go save the fairies and help the children's belief come back. The wind will keep watch and come get you when it would be time to help them. While you're doing that, I'll gather as much belief as I can to help supply the Guardians until you're able to come back and help us."_

_Sandy formed another question mark and Jack knew it wasn't because of his plan, but because of the fact he has to gather up belief._

_"I'm fine Sandy." Jack reassured. "I just had some bad thoughts, that's all." Besides, Jack thought, I should be able to have belief with Sandy being back._

_Sandy frowned but let it slide seeing as they should begin their plan. As Sandy got up and began to float away, he was suddenly brought back into a hug and Jack's face was buried in Sandy's shoulder._

_"I'm glad you're back Sandy." Jack whispered in his shoulder and Sandy could hear the sincerity and relief in his choked voice. Sandy relaxed and hugged back with a small smile, not bringing any attention to any of the silent tears that he could feel falling on his shoulder. When they parted, they both had a soft smile on their faces._

_"Stay safe Sandy."_

_Sandy nodded and then gave Jack a look that obviously meant, "you too"._

_Jack laughed. "Alright Sandy."_

_With that the dream-weaver said goodbye and Jack told the wind about their plan. Once they were both gone, Jack got ready for the attack that was sure to happen soon._

* * *

"And then you guys pretty much know what happened next." Jack finished as everyone but Sandy, who had a smile on his face, stared at him in shock.

"That was amazing!" Tooth exclaimed.

"You are truly a Guardian!" North cheered getting a grimace from Jack. "Now all you need to do is take oath!"

"All I did was make up the plan, Sandy did the rest, alongside wind." Jack replied. "Besides, I'm…not ready for that yet."

"Yeah, give the kid a break." Bunny spoke up for Jack, shooting him a look. "He just got back on his feet."

"…Yeah." Jack drew out raising a brow at the look Bunny sent him. Did he know something? He let it leave his mind. "Now, are we going to just sit in here for today? Because I got out of bed so I wouldn't be sitting all day."

"Yes! We have talked enough for now! We will go do…something!" North exclaimed marching out of the room.

"Bloody hell." Bunny moaned as he followed along with the others behind him and Jack letting out his loud laughter.

 


	19. Chapter 19

Jack laughed as he watched Phil and a few other yetis' team up and tackle North into the snow. After a few minutes of listening to North try to come up with ideas for them to do to pass the time, and being shot down by at least one of the others, Bunny finally suggested that they should see if they could finally beat Jack in a snowball fight, seeing he was limited to the ground. Jack had agreed hole heartedly, but it was Tooth they had to deal with. She objected to the idea of Jack exerting himself so much after just getting up, but Jack pointed out that a bit of snow might be good for him, seeing as he was a winter spirit.

After minutes of pleading and promises, they were finally able to get her to agree to let Jack play without her hovering over him. When it began, the others soon realized that they couldn't beat Jack in his own element and soon they tried to get the yetis to join their side. They did get them out in the snow, but that doesn't mean they kept to the Guardians' side. They seemed to hold that, with Jack being injured, he would get their help. For Jack, it was great, but the Guardians, not so much.

However, while the cold did help Jack ignore the pain of his wound for a while, it wasn't forever. When it began hurting, he had to put up with many "I told you so"'s from Tooth with worry mixed in. Eventually, he settled with sitting on the sidelines as the others continued to mess around.

"How you feelin', mate?" Bunny asked as he sat down beside Jack who glanced over at him.

"Fine, the cold helps a lot." Jack responded. "Why'd you come over here, Cottontail?"

"I can't check on you?"

"You can, but I am just over here. If I needed something, I would have told you." Jack pointed out as he turned to give the other a look.

"Alright, you have me there, Frostbite." Bunny replied.

"Well then?"

"Well then, what?"

"Why are you over here?"

"What gives you the idea there's an actual reason?" Bunny asked. "Maybe I just want to sit over here with you."

Jack scoffed. "Don't play stupid, Cottontail. I know you want to talk about something, so out with it."

Bunny seemed to contemplate this for a moment before speaking. "Alright, I want to know what was up with you in North's office."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh no, you're not allowed to play stupid either." Bunny declared getting a frown from the other.

"And how do you even know I know what you're talking about?" Jack accused.

"I know you do and I also know you're trying to avoid mentioning it."

"Really? And, just what, is this thing I'm avoiding?" Jack asked.

"You seemed reluctant to admit to being a Guardian." Bunny declared suddenly, making Jack's breath hitch. "Whenever North mentioned it, you seemed to freeze before answering." Bunny looked over Jack and took in the other's tense posture. "And I've seemed to hit the jack pot."

"…No." Jack replied after getting his voice to work. "You just…caught me off guard."

"Uh huh, sure, Snowflake. Then I guess, you won't have an issue with answering what you think about becoming a Guardian." Bunny replied.

"Er…I mean, it's a big deal right, because you're all so important and stuff." Jack shrugged. "You'd have to really good to get a position like that." He turned his gaze back on the group in the snow. "Are you sure you don't want to go join them, Kangaroo?"

"Oi! I'm not a Kangaroo, mate!" Bunny exclaimed, glaring at the other.

"You sure? Cause, I thought you were? I mean, you have the accent and look." Jack said with a smirk.

"Why you little-" Jack just laughed before taking off, without flying of course, and vanishing in the snow.

Bunny was prepared to chase after him when he suddenly realized something.  _'That bloody show pony! He slithered his way out of talking to me!'_

After about an hour more they finally decided to head back inside, each happy with the fact they had been able to relax and have fun, even if just for a little bit. They each ate before Tooth decided it was time to usher Jack back to his room and let him rest.

"Off you go!" Tooth said while Jack frowned at her.

"But Tooth, I'm fine! I'm not even that-" He broke off with a yawn. "That tired."

"Mhm." Tooth hummed.

"Don't worry, I'll get our little Snowflake to bed." Bunny said.

"Hey!" Jack objected as he tried to move away from the paw that moved towards him. However, he ended up twisting too much away from him and that made his wound ache. He put a hand upon it with a groan, only to yelp when Bunny grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder.

"Bunny!" Jack yelled as he slammed on his back with his fists and staff. Bunny didn't even flinch as he continued walking. "Put me down! I can walk! Besides, it's not even that late and I'm not that tired!"

"No, but your still injured." Bunny pointed out as he approached Jack's room. Since Jack was now able to walk around, they decided it was ok for him to go back to his room. He dumped the winter spirit on the bed and got a pout in return.

"I could have walked you know." Jack huffed, crossing his arms.

"Right, and if I let you do that, you would've found a way to sneak away." Bunny said as he gave Jack a pointed look. "Just like earlier today."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jack said, not for the first time today.

Bunny groaned. "Not this again, Frostbite, you know what I'm talking about."

Jack shifted awkwardly before mumbling. "Look, I answered your question. Can you just leave it alone?"

Bunny sighed before taking a seat next to Jack. "Jack, why are you trying to avoid talking about being a Guardian?"

"I'm not…" Jack protested weakly before he let out his own sigh. "Look, I'm just not ready to be a Guardian ok?"

"But it's not just that, is it mate." It wasn't a question. "Whenever North talked about you becoming a Guardian, you got this look on your face like that was the silliest thing in the world."

"Well, it is, isn't it?" Jack mumbled, not realizing he had said that out loud until Bunny responded.

"And why is that?" Jack jolted at the fact he said that out loud and scrambled for an excuse.

"W-Well, I mean-" Bunny just looked at him and Jack gave up his excuses and slumped into a defeated stance. "It's just, I'm not even a Guardian. Sure I've made children happy here and there, but I've never really protected anything important for them."

"You helped Sandy come up with an idea to rekindle belief in us." Bunny pointed out.

"I just made the plan, it's not like I actually got the belief back physically. Besides, the kids can't even see me, so I can't do much anyway." Jack sighed as he flopped back onto the bed. "Let's face it, I'm not a Guardian."

"Maybe it was something you did before you were Jack Frost." Bunny suggested.

Jack shrugged. "I wouldn't know."

"Jack-"

"Look, maybe you're right or maybe the moon's just crazy." He turned on his side and curled up, a smile coming upon his lips. "Besides, you guys work too much anyway, so I don't think I'm missing much, Kangaroo."

"Oi!"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go to sleep now." With that and a wave of his staff, Bunny was forced out of the room with the doors closing behind him.

It took Bunny a few seconds to gather together what just happened, and when he did, he sighed. That boy just like to avoid anything he could about this. Bunny debated going back in or leaving him, and decided that Jack should rest for now. He turned and walked down the hall, back to where the other's where. On his way down, he could help but think of Jack's casual references to things that obviously still pained him; his memory loss and the children not seeing him. He decided to talk to the others about this as he approached the dining room, seeing as the others never left it.

When he entered, he instantly searched the room for Tooth, knowing he needed to talk to her first. When he found her talking quickly to her fairies, he hopped over.

"Hey, Tooth, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked.

Tooth stopped her directing and turned to Bunny. "Oh! Sure." She turned back to the fairies. "Just give me a second."

Tooth flew down to Bunny's level and gave him a smile. "What can I do for you Bunny? Oh Jack got to his room ok, right? He wasn't in any pain or anything?"

"He's fine Tooth." Bunny replied. "He's actually who I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh! But I thought you said he was ok?" Tooth replied.

"He is, it's more about something he said." Bunny answered before hesitating. "…Have you, looked into his memories yet? You know, about his past?"

At first, Tooth was confused, not understanding why she would do that. Then it sunk in. "OH! Oh moon! I forgot about his memory loss! I'm so sorry! Just with everything that's happened it slipped my mind! Oh how terrible, he's not upset with me, right? I need to apologize-"

"Tooth!" Bunny shouted, cutting her off. "You don't need to apologize right now, especially since he's resting. And look, you were busy, so it's ok."

"I still feel terrible." She muttered in reply. Then she asked. "Bunny, what brought this up?"

"I was going to get to that." Bunny replied before actually answering the question. "Back in the room, Jack and I were talking and when I brought up a subject, he replied with a comment on his memories and believers. The way he said it, it sounded like he believed he'd never get either of them and I couldn't stand the hopelessness in his voice." Bunny looked away when he saw the knowing smile on Tooth's face. She was obviously smiling at his last comment. Bunny coughed and continued. "When he said that, I decided to inform the rest of you, specifically you."

Tooth was still gazing at Bunny with a soft smile and her eyes shinned with the thought of Bunny doing all this for Jack. "That's so sweet of you, Bunny!" She cooed. "I'll go look for Jack's memories and show him them when I find them."

"What about his believers?" Bunny asked.

"I'm sure we'll think of something. But…umm…Bunny?"

"Yeah?"

"What were you two talking about that brought this all up?" Bunny bit his lip at the question. He didn't know if he should tell her about it but at the same time she deserved to know, especially if she would be the one to help with the memories.

"We were talking about him becoming a Guardian." Bunny finally replied. "He didn't see a reason to become one so I suggested maybe it was something he did in his past. Then, when he commented he wouldn't know, it reminded me that he didn't know his past."

"Thank you for telling me." Tooth said. Then she turned to the window and took off to the Tooth Palace, in search of a lost child's memories.

Bunny watched her leave before he turned to find the others. He figured, he could talk to them about getting Jack some believers while Tooth was gone. He headed over to the others and spoke up when both Sandy and North were in view.

"Hey, mates, we need to talk."

 


	20. Chapter 20

Jack awoke slowly and let out a groan as he sat up. There was still the twinge of discomfort from his chest at the movement, but after a few breaths it was gone. Soon, he looked toward the still closed door to the room, expecting one of the Guardians to enter to check on him, but that did not happen. He stared in confusion at the entrance, unsure if he was happy that none of them, specifically Bunny, had come to bother him yet, or upset.

After a few more seconds, Jack sighed and got out of bed. He grabbed his staff and left, heading down the halls and to the kitchen. As he was heading down, a chirp caught his attention. Turning around, he found a tooth fairy flying there.

"Hello there little Baby Tooth." He greeted with a smile that made her sigh. She stayed there gazing at his teeth for a bit before shaking out of it and motioning for him to follow her.

"Follow you?" Jack guessed, getting a nod from her. Jack shrugged and went along with it. They moved through the North Pole quietly until finally they came to a room that had Tooth flying around in it. She looked to the door when it opened and grinned when she saw the two.

"Jack! There you are!" She exclaimed flying over to him.

"Tooth? Why are you…here?" He said motioning to the place they were in. It was a simple room with large windows that let the sun light it and a high ceiling. The floor was a simple chestnut wood and the walls were a soft beige. Within the room, there was a comfortable couch set up next to a table and a chair was next to that. Upon the table, Jack could spot something golden glinting upon it.

"I'm here to give you something special Jack." She replied as she began to guide him over to the couch.

"What?" Jack asked as he was sat down.

Tooth gave him a soft smile as her eyes shinned with emotions of many kinds. "Your memories."

Her words made Jack's mind come to a stop. His memories? Those things he had prayed to the moon for over 300 years for? The things he wished to have to find his purpose, why he was made, why he was here? Was this a cruel dream or was his wish finally being given to him?

"Jack?" Tooth's voice broke through his thoughts making him blink once before turning his gaze to her.

"My…my memories?" He breathed out as if he truly did not believe such a thing could be true.

Sorrow and guilt dimmed the shine in her eyes as Tooth spoke. "I'm truly sorry that you had gone this long without knowing your past. I can help you though, remember your past. That's why I brought you here today, to help you."

"Really?!" The hope that shinned within those cerulean eyes was enough to bring a smile to Tooth's face once again.

"Yes." She replied before reaching over to grab the golden canister that sat upon the table. "These are your memories." With that she handed them over to Jack.

As they were place within Jack's cool hand, the winter spirit gazed in wonder at the object. Turning it, he found a picture of a young boy on the end of one side. The boy had a smirk upon his pale face and one would swear that there was a mischievous smirk within those brown eyes that matched the windswept hair. At first, Jack wouldn't have believed that these were his own from the picture. However, the feeling he got from holding it spoke for itself.

"How do I…"

"I'll show you. But first, lay down." Tooth instructed, motioning to the couch. "I don't know how many memories you may receive and I'm here to make sure nothing goes wrong. However, I believe you should be comfortable while you're doing this, since it is unknown how long it will take."

Jack nodded and shifted until he was lying across the couch comfortably. He then looked to Tooth for what to do next.

"Alright, now you're going to touch the diamond pattern upon the top and from there, you'll be getting your memories."

Jack hesitated. "What will I see?"

"I can't answer that." Tooth replied. "I don't usually look into other people's memories unless it's needed."

Jack didn't reply. He stared at the canister, now unsure of if he wants to know his past or now. Maybe it wouldn't give him any of the answers he was looking for or maybe he wouldn't like what he saw. But then, what if it did? Here it is in his hands and he was hesitating! What was wrong with him?!

"Jack?" The winter spirit went to reply to Tooth when a voice suddenly rang from the golden container in his hand.

 _"Jack! Jaaack."_ Said spirit jerk in his seat and stared down at the canister. That voice! It brought to him so many emotions he could not place into his heart and he could even feel water gathering in his eyes at the familiar voice. He looked to Tooth, wondering if she had heard that cry of his name, but she was only looking to him in worry.

"Are you alright, Jack?"

Again, he didn't reply. He looked back to the canister in his hand and finally lifted his other hand to hover above the diamond pattern. Then, after a deep breath, he place his hand on it and his sight vanished with a glitter of diamonds.

* * *

_Two children and a mother walked through the woods, the children holding baskets. They laughed as they ran across the lush grass calling after the brown eyed and haired teen. He laughed and continued to run ahead of the other two, not a worry in the world. He made faces and did actions that made the young girl laugh and the mother to shake her head, but neither stopped him._

_The memory shifted and Jack saw the teen, himself he figured, hanging from a tree upside down and laughing. Below him his sister and two other young girls were laughing. His sister cried for him to get down through her laughter but all Jack did was laugh in return._

_It shifted again and this time Jack was telling a story around the fire to the children. They all laughed at his story and he could spot his sister nearby laughing and telling him how funny he was. Jack smiled and continued to tell the story, even putting antlers up to his head._

_The scene changed to them sitting before a fire and for a moment, Jack swore screams filled his ears as did the smell of smoke but diamonds were forced into his vision as the memory changed before he saw anything but fire._

_When the diamonds cleared, Jack was being pulled out of the house by his sister, telling his mother they would be careful. The scene shifted only slightly and suddenly, brown eyes were gazing calming into similar terrified ones across from him._

_"It's ok, it's ok. Don't look down, just look at me."_

_"Jack, I'm scared!" He bit his lip, trying to think of a way that would distract her from the cracks that formed upon the ice beneath her feet._

_"I know, I know, but you're goanna be alright, y-you're not goanna fall in. uh," He looked around for anything to help her escape from the icy jaws beneath her that sought to claim her and spotted a hooked branch a few steps away. "W-We're goanna have a little fun instead!"_

_"No we're not!"_

_"Would I trick you?"_

_"Yes! You always play tricks!"_

_He laughed, trying to get rid of that fear she had spoken with. "O-Oh alright…w-well not…not this time." His hands went up in a calming motion. "I promise…I promise…you're goanna be…" He took a deep breath. "You're goanna be just fine. You have to believe in me."_

_His sister stared at him. Her face still held a frown but, as she look at her older brother's face and took in his words, she let out the breath she had been holding._

_A spark came to Jack's brown eyes as he gave her a small smile. "You want to play a game? We're goanna play hopscotch, like we play every day." He stood up straighter and he knew his sister was watching him carefully with trust in her eyes. Even at the mention of her favorite game brought a small smile to her face._

_"It's as easy as…uh…one," He stepped forward and winced at the crack that formed in the ice under his foot. He quickly hid the wince with a smile and pretended to lose his balance as he stood on one foot. "Whoa!" He got a laugh out of his sister and he took the next step. "Two…three!" With one last hop, he landed on the thicker ice, next to the branch he had spotted. Crouching down, Jack grabbed the staff in hand and turned to his sister._

_"Alright," He said, gripping the staff. "Now it's your turn. One," He began and he watched her take a step forward only to gasp as more cracks formed. "That's it, that's it." He tried to reassure her. "Two." She took another step and gasped again when she lost her balance again._

_"Three!" He cried and wrapped the branch around her waist, yanking her onto the thicker ice. He felt the momentum move him away from the thicker ice, but he didn't pay attention to that as he watched his sister land and look up at him with a smile._

_Jack let out a laugh and went to move towards her, only for the ice to crack and for him to plunge into the icy water._

_"Jack!" was the last thing he heard before the water closed over his head and ice pierced his bones. His last breath was taken as he watched the moon's glow reach the surface of the water and touch his skin. His hair was bleached beneath its light as the brown melted away to a snowy white. As his first breath of this life was taken, eyes flashed open to reveal the once chocolate was now an icy blue._

* * *

Jack gasped as he came back to his body. His had went up to his chest as he breathed deeply and tried to gather himself. He was a mess of emotions from what he had seen and it took a while before he realized Tooth was calling to him.

"Jack?! Jack, are you alright? Jack say something, please. Oh Sweet-Tooth!" His gaze shifted to meet her own. Then he spoke.

"I-I had a sister." He spoke no louder than a whisper. "I saved her! And I…and I…" He was unable to voice that dreadful part that he could feel even now as a phantom in his lungs. The pain of drowning. But two things save his own death now weighed upon his mind. The first had to do with the fact he had saved his sister. Is he truly a Guardian? What this the reason he had been brought back? The other had to do with what had happened before that last memory. What had the memory box kept him from seeing? What could be worse than his own death?

"Oh Sweet-Tooth, you're alright." Tooth shushed him. She ran her fingers through his hair as he continued to stare unblinkingly at her, tears gathering within his eyes. "Do you want to talk about it? I know it must be hard but if you need to, I'm right here."

"Tooth…I had a family," He spoke, feeling he could trust her with this knowledge he had received and needing to find comfort about it. "A-And I saved my sister!"

As Tooth gazed down at him with caring eyes, she knew that was not all, not with the way his emotions swam in his eyes. But perhaps she was wrong, perhaps it was simply seeing those he had forgotten for so long and now being able to know them, but never again feel their company.

"It's alright Jack, shhh, it's alright." She had been prepared to comfort him through this, prepared to help him with his knew found knowledge. However, she was not prepared for what he said next. Jack was even surprised that he seemed to trust her enough that he spoke the next three words with a small breath."

"Tooth, I died."

* * *

Pitch scowled at the globe, specifically a certain light that glowed upon the ground of the North Pole. That spirit, that  _child_  had ruined everything! If he had only extinguished his light before, he would have achieved his goal. Now though, now he wanted to watch that light go out forever, without any hope of returning.

While it had been the last light upon the globe, he would make sure this will be the last this light will ever glow.


	21. Chapter 21

Tooth quietly closed the door to the room she and Jack had viewed his memories in. Jack was currently sleeping in there, letting his mind rest from the flow of memories he had just gained. As for Tooth, she was having trouble coming to peace with the knowledge she had just received. This poor child had  _died_  and they had done nothing! It broke her heart to think such a thing happened but it did and now there was no way to change it!

A tap on her shoulder brought her back to the present. Looking down, she noticed Sandy standing there, a question mark upon his head. It was then she became aware of the tears that were falling from her eyes. Giving Sandy a smile, she wiped the tears away.

"I'm fine Sandy, but…um…" She hesitated. When Jack had told her about what he had seen, even the part about the fire which she had to look into, he asked her to not tell anyone. However, as much as she wanted to keep that promise, she knew it would take one dream before Sandy found out.

"Could you please give him some pleasant dreams and…" Tooth took a deep breath before continuing. "If you find out anything, please do not bring it up. He doesn't want any of you to know yet, and I promised."

Sandy just gave her a smile and a thumbs up.

"Thanks Sandy." Sandy gave her a nod before going into the room. As the door closed, Tooth took a deep breath before heading through the halls where she knew the other two would be. When she entered the Globe Room, she found both looking over the globe that shinned with little lights. While this might have been a concerning sight at first, she knew the reason for it so she wasn't scared.

"How's everything going?" She asked flying up to them.

"Alright, the kid's got a few believers now at least." Bunny answered. He turned to her. "What about you? You help the kid with his memories."

The reminder of what happened around a half an hour ago makes tears come to her eyes but she blinks them away. "Yes, now he's sleeping off the rush. Hopefully Sandy can help with that."

Bunny gave a grunt in return.

Tooth flew over and took a look at the globe. She could spot one or two lights here and there, especially in the colder countries, but she found it odd when the most seemed to be in the area of Burgess.

"Why are there more lights there than anywhere else?" Tooth asked pointing to the questioned area.

"Hum?" Both North and Bunny paused at what they were doing to look at the globe. It was true, there were about seven lights within that area at least, more than the other areas of the globe.

"Oh, yeah that does seem a bit out of place doesn't it." Bunny replied, his eyes gazing questionably at the spot.

"Actually, it is not so strange." North spoke up. "The lake there is frozen completely throughout year, which helps enforce belief in Jack." Tooth gasped at the mention of the lake but the others didn't seem to notice.

"Do you know the reason why it's always frozen?" Bunny asked crossing his arms at the Guardian of Wonder.

"I do not know full story but I would not be surprised if Jack had something to do with it. It was place we found him at, remember?"

"Yeah, that makes since." Bunny hummed. "Only Frostbite will go as far as freeze a lake solid for years upon years. My only guess is he did it to keep the children safe, but it is odd it is only that one lake."

"Oh, I'm sure he has his reasons." Tooth pipped up, trying to get them off the topic. "The most important part is that it was most likely done for the kids."

"Tooth is right!" North exclaimed. "Besides we need to focus on Jack's believers."

Soft footsteps caught their attention and they turned to see Sandy walking into the room.

"How is he Sandy?" Tooth asked. She received a thumbs up but the subtle look Sandy gave her let her know he knew and understood. In return, Tooth gave him a small smile with nod, thanking him for being willing to keep his memories secret. After that, they both turned back to the globe, prepared to see how this would all effect Jack when he found out.

* * *

_Jack's dreams had started out in pitch black, his mind blank as it still processed the information it received. Then suddenly, everything had shifted. He was sitting with his past family around a fire with the other villagers, telling stories and Jack listening intently as his young eyes watched the story teller. His mother cradled his two-year-old sister in her arms and Jack sat between his mother and the man he assumed was his father._

_As the story grew more interesting by the second, building to the climax, he would cast a look to his father who would give him a smile back. When the story was over and Jack and his family were going home, Jack was jumping with excitement._

_"That was so cool! Hey, dad, do you think we'll go on adventures like that?!" Jack asked excitedly as he jumped up and down before his parents._

_"Maybe one day, Jackson." His father chuckled._

_"Or, perhaps you'll tell your own stories for everyone." His mother said, holding his sleeping sister close._

_Jack's eyes lit up as he bobbed his head up and down, brown hair flopping around with the action. "Yeah!"_

_They reached their home and Jack was sent to bed, his father explaining the two will have a busy day tomorrow. His father tucked him in while his mother did so with his sister. As Jack looked up into his father's eyes, he swore for a moment that the smell of burning wood and fire filled his nose and those brown eyes were filled with fear, his own fear spiking at the sight._

_But then the eyes turned to those of his sisters and while the fear did not vanish, the smell did. Just as Jack took in the scene around him, the ground was suddenly gone beneath him and water filled his lungs. He could not breathe! Ice was filling his lungs and his arms reached out to try and reach for his sister he knew had to be terrified. And just as he felt he could fight no more and his eyes began to slide close, his vision shifted to gold before it was gone. Looking around, he found he was surrounded by snow and laughing children._

_"Jack!" He turned and found his sister waving to him. With a grin, Jack picked up a snowball and through it at her, laughing as she tried to duck away from his shot._

* * *

Pitch grinned from within the shadow he hid in, watching the show before him. He had felt Jack's fear the moment it spiked and the power he had gotten from it was delightful, if only Sandy hadn't changed it! Never mind that, for that wasn't what he was focusing on. He continued to observe what was happening before him and grinned even wider. It wouldn't be long before he made his move.


	22. Chapter 22

"Are you serious?"

Jack stared at the Guardians, surprise etched on his face like it was a part of it. For the past week since Tooth had shown him his memories and he began to heal, he's been locked up in the Pole because the Guardians had claimed it was for his own good. During that time, Jack came to accept his memories, the only one remaining a mystery to him was the memory of fire. Tooth had tried to unlock it for him, but she could never seem to get past whatever was holding him back from the memory. Jack explained that it was alright at that there was probably a reason for it, saying it was most likely a bad memory he unconsciously didn't want to remember.

Otherwise, Jack spent the time recovering and contemplating. He still did not know if he wanted to become a Guardian or not, and he also knew this was not a decision to be taken lightly.

Now though, they were giving him space. They were letting him be the free spirit he was for the last 300 years. He could finally let the wind bring him high up into the sky again and touch soft grass beneath his feet as he breathed in the air of the wild.

"Yes, but we still want you to come back after a number of hours so we can check on your wound." Bunny said making Jack sigh.

"Seriously? I'm fine Bunny! You've even taken _out_ the stitches, what more could I do?"

"With you? I don't want to know." In response, Jack stuck out his tongue.

North chuckled at the two before opening a window, something Jack had asked them to do. "Well, we shouldn't hold you back Jack! Go, have fun!"

With a nod and a laugh, Jack leapt out the window and shot off like a bullet through the sky. The Guardians stared after him and once he was out of sight, Tooth spoke up.

"I don't feel comfortable letting him go alone like this." She said biting her lip. "What if something happens?"

"He will be fine Tooth, do not worry. Besides, he still needs to see gift we give him." North replied with another chuckle.

"I know but still."

"Oh, the show pony's fine." Bunny said with a wave of his hand. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, we can go and check on him after a couple of hours. For now, let the kid enjoy himself."

Tooth giggled. "I never thought I'd hear you say something like that."

"Oh, rack off. I just want him out of my fur for a while. It's like a breath of fresh air."

"Whatever you say Bunny."

"It's true! The kid's evil!"

While the other three bantered, Sandy was staring off after the direction Jack had gone. He couldn't help but get the feeling that something bad would happen within a few hours.

* * *

Jack whooped as the wind glided him through the air. He could tell she missed him but he apologized and it didn't take long for him to be forgiven. Jack played in the air as he flew to the place he wished to go and it didn't take him long to land upon the frozen lake.

When he landed and skidded across the familiar lake, his eyes took in the landscape around him. Spring had come and now not a fleck of snow sat upon the blossoming grass and flowers. Children were laughing in the distance, doing whatever they were doing but they were simply noise in the background.

He glanced down at the frozen lake beneath him, his mind flashing to the memories of his death. Now he knew why he always wished for the lake to remain frozen. Subconsciously, his mind feared for any others that would suffer the same pain filled, watery grave that he had. Jack crouched down near the center of the pond, the place he had fallen through. His hand moved over the surface as his eyes looked at details that were no longer there, simply a fragment of his memory. He could hear his and his sister's laughter before a loud crack filled his ears and a final scream before he heard no more.

"Hey! Are you alright?" A young voice called out to his direction cutting him out of his memories. Jack looked up to find a young brunette and brown eyed child standing there watching him. Jack looked behind him only to find no one there. With a confused look on his face, Jack turned back to the child and, daring to hope, pointed to himself.

The kid nodded making the hope flare in Jack, especially when he spoke. "Yeah! Why are you out their all alone? Do you need help?" Jack blinked at the questions before realizing the kid must be asking him these questions based on what he saw: a pale as death boy with no shoes, a thin newly made hoody, and worn down brown pants and carrying a shepherd staff.

Jack shook his head before he spoke the two questions that have haunted his entire life. "C-Can you see me?"

The boy looked confused but answered anyway. "Yeah."

"A-And you…you can hear me?" Jack received the same answer. Jack's face broke out into a huge grin and he gripped his staff before doing a backflip onto it, making the child gasp at the action. Jack brought a hand to his face as he let out soft laughs and "he can see me"s behind them. Another gasp from the child brought him to know his emotions were making his powers react because snow was softly falling around him.

"Who are you?" The kid breathed his bright eyes turning away from the snow and to Jack.

Jack didn't move any closer as he answered, as if he was afraid his answer would ruin everything. "I'm Jack Frost."

It did the exact opposite of what Jack feared. The kid's eyes lit up with wonder and he rushed forward to stand before Jack, jumping on the balls of his feet.

"Really!? Oh wow, this is so cool! Does this mean the others are real? Do you really control winter? Do-"

"Woah, woah, woah slow down kid." Jack said with a laugh. "One question at a time."

"Oh right, sorry." The kid said. "Wait, I haven't introduced myself yet. Sorry. I'm-"

"Jamie Bennett." Jack cut the kid off. He knew who was now that he looked the kid over.

"Jack Frost knows my name." Jamie breathed in awe making Jack laugh again.

"Yup! Now, what were those questions?"

"Oh, uh, does this mean there are others like you who are real? Like Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy-"

"Yes, we are _all_ real." Jack said stressing real making Jamie let out a wow.

"I have to let my friends meet you!" Jamie suddenly declared, looking up at Jack who was still balancing on his staff. Not wanting to disappoint the kid, Jack hopped down from the crook, took it in his hands, and followed Jamie as he ran off. With a laugh, Jack took to the air and followed Jamie from above.

When Jamie came to the area of the town his friends were playing at, he turned around to shout to Jack only to see he wasn't there. Jamie frowned, looking for his new friend.

"What you looking for kiddo?" Jack asked from behind Jamie making him jump.

"That wasn't funny!" Jamie huffed.

"It was to me." Jack shrugged with a smirk as he landed. Jamie rolled his eyes before running over to his friends. It was only after a few seconds before Jack had five more believers: Claude, Caleb, Pippa, Monty, and Sophie, Jamie's younger sister. Each had their own length of shock and afterwards their own questions which Jack happily answered. It wasn't until they started playing with snowballs Jack created for fun that he gained an unexpected believer.

They were all running around when suddenly, a snowball went wide and hit another child outside of their little circle. She was a large brunette with a pink outfit and apparently very frightening to the other children.

"I hit Cupcake." Pippa gasped, shrinking back.

"Crud, you hit Cupcake." And many other similar gasps came. Jack rolled his eyes at them all before whipping up a snowball and blowing his special snowflake on it. With a grin, Jack took aim and fired.

Right on target! The snowball hit Cupcake right in the face making everyone gasp and look at him with terrified expressions. They looked prepared to run but Jack held up on finger signaling them to wait.

It was then that Cupcake laughed. Then again. And again! Soon she was full out laughing and the next thing they knew she was joining the fun. Jack officially had seven believers and it only seemed to grow when other kids found the others playing with snow that came from nowhere.

When the time came for Jack to go deliver snow to other places, they all were sad to see him go. Jack promised he'd be back as soon as he could and took off. He delivered the snow needed for each country and section and it was when he was going back to Burgess it happened.

Shadows struck from the trees as Jack flew over them. They tied his arms and pulled his staff away. He was immobile as they wrapped around his body and he nothing but darkness.


	23. Chapter 23

Jack gasped as his eyes shot open, only to be meet dark rocks around him and cold stone beneath him. As he glance around, he found that his staff was nowhere to be seen which shot fear down his spine. He stood up and went to move forward only to find himself restrained. Looking down, Jack found dark colored chains upon his wrists and ankles. He attempted to freeze them and then break them off, but as soon as frost began to crawl across the metal, it began to melt as the metal heated up.

Jack let out a yelp from the sudden heat and stopped using his powers, which the metal then ceased its attack.

"Amazing isn't." A familiar voice spoke from the shadows. "What a small spell can do."

"Pitch." Jack spat. Of course it was Pitch. Who else would capture him with the use of shadows? "I thought you gave up and ran away to hide for all eternity?"

"I thought you would have been dead, Frost." Pitch replied as he came to stand before the winter spirit.

"You can't get rid of me that easily." Jack replied with a smirk.

"No, apparently not. However," Pitch moved forward, causing Jack to back up into the wall as he put his hand upon Jack's abdomen, right above the scar that was beneath the hoodie. "I did leave my mark."

"What do you want Pitch?"

"Simple, I want your light to go. Out."

"Why? What difference would that make now that the lights are back?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"You are obviously the most powerful believer, taking you out will help my victory." Jack just gave him a dead look.

"Well, good luck with that."

"Oh? You don't believe I could make your belief go out?"

"You haven't achieved it in the past, and that was when I was the only one left _and_ my belief was pretty much nonexistent. Honestly, I don't think you'll get very far." Jack shrugged.

"That was before. Now, I have everything I need to make your belief disappear." Pitch grinned. "I can't kill you-"

"Obviously."

Pitch continued, ignoring Jack's comment. "That wouldn't get the effect I needed. And you won't join me willingly-"

"Wow, when did you get that idea?" Jack sarcastically interrupted, this time getting a glare from Pitch before the older spirit continued.

"And corrupting you is too risky, seeing as there would always be a chance."

"So you have nothing?" Jack said. "Great! Now, if you would just let me free and we can go on our merry ways-"

"Oh no, you didn't let me finish Jack." Pitch said with a chuckle, taking his turn to interrupt the other. "You see, I do have something. I have everything right…here." Pitch moved his hand up to push his finger to Jack's forehead and Jack jerked away from the touch.

"If you think I'd listen to any lies you have to say then you're crazy."

"What lies do I have to say? Everything I need lays within your past and memories. I need no lies, only facts to show you how much the Guardians really don't care about you."

"And how do I know you won't twist any of my thoughts with nightmares?" Jack questioned with narrowed eyes.

"Because you should know yourself if what you see is real or not. Besides, nightmares can only go so far when the memory is traumatic enough. Why meddle with something when you can have all the facts you need without any tampering?" Pitch laughed as he began to move his hand over Jack's eyes.

"Pitch!-"

"Sleep Frost, and let's see how long you can rely on those Guardians." With that, Jack fell to the ground with a thump and into a deep sleep as nightmare sand spun around his head, forming the memories of the darker times of Jack's life.

Pitch chuckled at the sight of the boy. It was true he could have taken many paths to make Jack's belief vanish, and of all of them he felt this would be the most effective. If he could Jack to lose faith in the simply because of their neglect, he knew it would have more of an effect on the Guardians than any other way. To be, mostly, betrayed willingly. He knew that the memories of Jack's years alone and being ignored wouldn't be enough to extinguish his belief, but it could get an opening for him. A few words here and there, and a little something stronger could get rid of the winter spirit's belief in the Guardians for good. Now he just needed to find that little something to prepare for that final strike.

* * *

Tooth fluttered back and forth. It had been hours now since Jack had been gone and he hadn't returned. The other three Guardians were worried as well, but not as much as Tooth was, or at least they weren't showing it like she was.

"Would you calm down, sheila?" Bunny called from where he sat painting an egg. "The ankle-biter's probably fine. He's just doing his job and stuff."

"I guess but I can't help but feel like something is wrong." Tooth muttered.

Sandy signed a few things in North's direction, asking if he could think of any reason why Jack was gone so late without any news. Sure, they expected this, but they also hoped for Jack to be home earlier then slightly after sun down so they could hear how he reacted to his believers.

North had seen Sandy's signs but didn't say anything. He could feel something in his belly, something that wasn't good when he thought about Jack's safety; his belly was never wrong. A frown graced his lips at the feeling and he tried to think of a reason for it.

"North?" Tooth called and he realized that the others were all looking at him with a curious expression, no doubt questioning his own facial expression.

"Is something wrong, mate?" Bunny called to the larger man.

"It's just, something is wrong." North replied. "I feel it in my belly."

Usually, Bunny would joke about North's instinctive belly, but now was not the time. You see, as silly as it was, it was usually right. The fact that it was a bad feeling did not help any of their worries.

"One of us should go check on him." Tooth said. "That way if he's fine, he won't be annoyed by all of us coming and if something is wrong, we can quickly get the others."

"I'll go." Bunny spoke up, shocking the others. "I'm fast with my tunnels and I can sniff the snowflake out if need be."

It was after a moment hesitation from the shock that the others agreed. After that was all said and done, Bunny tapped his foot against the ground and, after checking the globe to double check where he was going for Jack's light, hopped down and started heading to Burgess.

He opened the hole and breathed in the air, looking for that one sent that would stand out from all the others. When he caught it, he followed the smell before he came to a rather secluded area of the forest. He blinked, confused when he caught no sight of the winter spirit.

"Jack?" He called out, trying to find the boy only to receive no response, not even a laugh. He sniffed the air again, trying to see if there was any more evidence of Jack moving past the area, only to find that the strongest sent was right where he was, as if Jack had just been here. It didn't trail off anywhere save for the places where he had been before. It was as if Jack had just disappeared.

"Jack?!" He called out once again, louder and more desperate. He was again answered with silence. It was just then the wind began to swirl around him in a frenzy. At first, he thought it was Jack's doing but the wind didn't let up for anything he said or did, nor did he hear any sign of laughter.

"Stop!" He cried, this time directing it to the wind. The wind settled down, to his amazement, but it continued to cry softly as if crying for its rider. It was then Bunny put the pieces together.

Jack was missing.


	24. Chapter 24

Bunny bounded into the Pole, ignoring the other's cries as he raced toward the globe. He searched for the bright light that should have been in Burgess, but it was no longer there, it was as if it had vanished just like its person. But that shouldn't be possible! A light couldn't hide from the globe!

"BUNNY!" He jerked back to the world at the loud shout in his ear before turning to the speaker. Tooth was standing there with wide eyes and behind her stood North and Sandy.

"Bunny, what happened?" Tooth said evenly, but he could catch the worry in her voice. "Where is Jack?"

"He's gone." Bunny replied, his voice soft as he spoke those words.

Tooth gasped, her hands flying to her mouth and she slowly hovered backwards from him. North and Sandy had caught his words and North spoke up.

"What do you mean buy he is gone?" North asked seriously, none of his silly tone showing through.

"I mean, I couldn't find him anywhere. And if the way the wind was acting up said anything…" He cut himself, shaking his head.

Sandy caught North's attention. Showing the globe, a light, and a question mark.

"What about his light?" North repeated for the silent spirit, turning to the globe. He let his blue eyes gaze across the metal surface of the sphere, looking for any lights that stuck out amongst the others. It wasn't until his eyes drifted over a rather popular area within Europe that he saw it. Amongst the large gathering of lights, a single one shined brighter and lighter than the others.

"There." North said pointing to the light. Bunny sighed in relief, glad that it had just been his over worried mind believing that Jack's light had gone out. Besides, he had a feeling they'd know if it was gone.

"But we don't know _exactly_ where that is." Tooth said. "How will we find him?"

"First things first, how did he get there?" North hummed. "Did he crash?"

Bunny shook his head. "No, his sent stayed in Burgess so I know he didn't fly there. And you didn't give him a snow-globe so that can't be the reason. Plus, I don't think the wind would act like that if it was something simple."

Sandy showed a picture of a familiar figure that made them all gasp.

"It can't be Pitch, can it?"

"It is possible Tooth." North told her. "He had fled the last battle, so we don't know what he was doing during that time."

"Planning it seems like." Bunny spoke up. "No doubt trying to figure out how to get rid of Frosty so we couldn't rely on his light."

"Bah! He can't do much then, Jack is strong!" North said his familiar smile back.

"But we don't know what tricks Pitch has up his sleeves." Tooth spoke up.

"Then we just go and save him quickly."

"That may be a bit of a problem." Bunny spoke up pointing to the globe. They watched as Jack's light suddenly appeared in Asia. "Seems like Pitch's got a new trick to keep us from getting to his layer."

This revelation beat down North's joy. His heart dropped at the fact that it would be incredibly difficult to find their immortal child.

Sandy formed signs, suggesting that there may be a pattern to Pitch's layer and that they could figure it out to catch it and get to Jack. They knew that this would sadly take time and they could only hope that Jack could hold out for them.

* * *

_Jack lay curled up in a snow drift, trying to be rid of the burns that marked his skin. He stared up at the moon with pain filled eyes with tears shimmering on the edges. His mind was filled with questions, none of which he knew the moon would answer. All he wanted was company or a friend, but he was granted neither._

_"Why? Why does everyone hate me?" He choked out, pain laced in his words. "Why am I so alone?"_

_There was no answer._

_But really, Jack shouldn't have expected one. He was alone. No spirit would ever bother with him. Not even the Guardians would bother with him. Sure, Sandy would give him company here and there, but he never stayed, never seemed to tell the other spirits of him or introduced him. Maybe Sandy was ashamed of him? Yeah, that would make sense, because no one liked Jack Frost._

_Jack slowly continued to curl up in a ball, letting out a soft whimper as his burns were irritated. He let his eyes slip close, the moon being the last thing he saw before pain and sleep took over._

* * *

Jack jerked awake, his heart thundering as he tried to make sense of where he was. It took him a while to remember where he was as his memories replayed in his head like an echo.

"It's such a joy to see you awake once more, Frost." Pitch's voice came making Jack groan and bury his head, as well as subtly wipe away tears from the memories.

"You're not getting anywhere Pitch." Jack replied.

"Oh, but I think I am." Pitch smirked. He knew what Jack was doing. It was obvious. It had been almost a day and a half since he had put Jack under and since then, Pitch had learned quite a few things, much like a little of his past, before he was a spirit. It wasn't much but he knew that he would get his leverage somewhere within those memories. "From the looks of it, you didn't sleep very well."

"And whose fault is that?"

"The Guardians and other spirits I'd suppose for leaving you alone all those years." Pitch said simply

"That's in the past." Jack said through clenched teeth.

"Is it? Because you seem to have some lasting effects from it all."

"Yeah, well that happens." Jack said with a roll of his eyes. "But I'm getting over it."

"Ah, right because you're suddenly all buddy, buddy with the Guardians right?"

"They're sorry."

"Are they?"

"Yes." Jack said firmly.

"I beg to differ." Pitch chuckled.

"And why is that? Oh wait, I know that answer. It's because you don't like them."

"Tell me Jack, have you become a Guardian yet?" Pitch asked, catching Jack off guard.

"How did you-"

"I have my ways." Pitch grinned. "Now, please answer my question."

Jack watched him skeptically before answering. "No."

"Ah, so that's why they've kept you around. Once you're a Guardians, they'll most likely go back to ignoring you."

"That's not true!" Jack shouted. "They aren't pushing me, it's my decision."

"Really? Are you positive on that? Are you sure they just don't want you to become a Guardian so you could never lose your belief or they would never lose the power you have?" Pitch asked. "Or maybe they've given up on you. I mean you have been in my grasp for a while now, maybe they believe you aren't worth the time. Mayb-"

"Shut up!" Jack shouted at him, cutting Pitch off. He couldn't stand to hear those words. "They'll come for me, and when they do it's because they care about me!"

"Is it? Are you sure they wouldn't just come back for you because you're just their little battery? I mean, that is why they wanted you in the past. They never really cared about you have they?" Pitch's words slid into his mind and attached to his thoughts. The words fueled his insecurities and Jack fought to shake them away as Pitch continued to talk.

"Maybe, you're the one child they never cared about."

Jack curled in on himself, whispering about how wrong Pitch was and how his words were only meant to trick him. He couldn't fall for his tricks, he couldn't! But he couldn't help but think back to when the Guardians first found him, he couldn't help those words of doubt creep back into him mind.

Pitch smiled at Jack's distressed form before casting his nightmare sand upon him once more. He watched as Jack fell back into his restless sleep before settling back to watch the nightmares. The sand shifted and began to show Jack's dark memories once more. While Pitch couldn't effect memories unless he had a spell or they were in a nightmare like Jack's, it didn't mean that the memories could not be nightmares themselves.

From watching Jack's memories, Pitch had found many he could use against the boy, especially those that included his past. However, there was one odd moment that Pitch now thought about often as Jack's mind was tormented with the pain and loneliness within him for the past three hundred years. When Pitch had been watching the terrorizing memories start to shift to then next, the change was stopped. He had seen the sand shift to form what look like flames and figures within them before it froze, shook, and shattered, as if it could not form the memory.

Pitch knew then this is what he needed to win. Whatever memory or memories that were repressed from Jack's mind were trying to come forth only to be held back. He needed to unlock those memories and it was then he just knew Jack would finally give up on the Guardians.


	25. Chapter 25

_Snow fell swiftly from the sky as the clouds blocked out the moon. But Jack wasn't focusing on that, he was focusing on the idea of the spirit he was hoping to meet today. You see, over the past hundred years or so, a spirit had caught Jack's attention, well more than others. The spirit was told with many different names but Jack was able to figure out they were all the same person. Just who is this person? Santa Claus of course!_

_So Jack waited in the small town on a chimney. He wanted to talk to the other spirit, ask for advice or just something that could help him, or even just talking to him would be nice! Sure he was friends with the Sandman but it wouldn't hurt to make some new friends!_

_Jack sat there for what seemed like hours, long after the Sandman had left, when he finally heard the sound of bells in the sky. The sound made the winter spirit shoot up excitedly, practically bouncing on his feet. He watched as what looked like a sleigh being pulled by deer flew through the sky and land on one of the rooftops._

_Deciding to go over there himself, Jack flew over, prepared to meet the other spirit, only to find that the other was already gone, leaving just an empty sleigh and the deer._

_"Whoa." Jack breathed out at the sight of the sleigh, but his attention was brought away by the deer getting riled up. They snorted and thrashed as he neared them._

_"Oh, hey," Jack said putting his hands up, the staff held in a non-threatening way in one, and approached the leader of the group. "Hey, I'm not going hurt you. It's alright." With these words Jack slowly brought his open hand toward the animal, palm facing it. He focused on staying calm and soon the deer was pushing its snout to his hand._

_Jack grinned at the reaction and then that's when he noticed it wasn't reacting to the chill of his hand. He thought for a few seconds before he realized they weren't just deer, but they were reindeer._

_He giggled a bit as he ran his hand along the animal. As he continued to do so, he never heard the sound of someone coming up from a chimney nor did he notice the weapon being drawn until it was pressed against his neck. His breath hitched as he felt the blade against his neck._

_"What are you doing winter spirit?" A thickly accented voice growled._

_"Nothing!" Jack chocked out as he was forced to move away from the sleigh. He found that the holder of the weapon was a large bearded man in red, his blue eyes piercing._

_"Are you trying to sabotage me?" He asked. "Sabotage Christmas?"_

_"No!" Santa eyed him for a few moments before lowering his sword and going back to the sleigh._

_"Good, keep it that way." He said as he climbed into the sleigh and was about to take off once more before freezing. "You're not out to harm the children, are you?"_

_Jack's eyes widened in horror. "What!? No! Never! But I-"_

_"Good, now I must be off! Christmas to take care of!"_

_"But wait I-"_

_"We all have our jobs to do, I will do mine like you must do yours." With that he took off. Jack tried to summon the wind to chase after the other but by the time he would have reached the older spirit, he was gone by using a portal it seemed._

_Jack stared at the empty space, his face showing his disappointment. He had thought that he could talk to the other have another friend or something. But he guessed wrong. Though he was really busy, maybe he could find the other another time and talk to him._

_With a nod to himself, Jack decided to try and meet the other some other time._

_It was only a week later that he found the North Pole. He had been flying that way to give the land a fresh coating of snow when he saw what looked to be a palace built in the ice of a mountain. He had flown over to the place and looked in one of the windows, only to be shocked at what he saw. Amazing creations of every shape and size and color were everywhere._

_His blue eyes were wide in wonder. He needed to get in there. Looking around the place, he found a window that was slightly open. With a grin, he dashed over to it and pushed it open, only to suddenly be stopped by what looked like a large gorilla, only much bigger and stronger. A yeti._

_"Hehe…hey." Jack waved to it only to be shoved right back out the window. "HEY! Can't I at least talk to the big guy here?" He huffed at it._

_The creature glared at him and made a few grunting noises and hand gestures, which Jack took as he wasn't allowed in here._

_"Why not?"_

_More hand gestures and grunting before the yeti glared at him and slammed the window closed._

_Jack frowned from where he sat. Fine, he didn't need help from that guy anyway, but that also didn't mean he wouldn't take up the challenge of breaking in._

_The memory shifted and soon another took its place._

_"Oh no!" Jack moaned as he tried and failed to calm the snow that was falling heavily around him. His blue eyes which had already been wide in fear from the moments before only increased as the storm never slowed down. His cloths were torn and ratty, rustling in the wind as it blew around him._

_He tried so hard to stop the blizzard that formed from his emotions and fear but it was useless, whether he used his staff or not nothing would stop the incoming storm._

_A shout came from behind him and he turned to see a large bunny standing there, glaring at him. Jack was tempted to run away from the other spirit, but he was also looking for help. Deciding to go against his fear and gut, he watched as the other spirit made his way over to the frightened winter spirit._

_"What in the bloody world do you think you're doing mate?!" The Easter Bunny raged as he neared the winter spirit, his form towering over the other's._

_"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to do this I just need help and-" He was cut off as the other spirit grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hoisted him up. He tried to struggle and fight his way out of the grip, but the rabbit just tightened his grip._

_"Need help?! With what? Ruining Easter?" Bunny hissed. Jack flinched from the anger and venom spat in his face._

_"NO! I-I didn't…didn't even kno-AH!" Jack yelped as he was slammed into a tree._

_"You don't even care about the children do you?!" Bunny raged, not listening to the winter spirit's pleas. "You're just a cold hearted winter spirit that only cares about himself and making trouble!"_

_He threw Jack down to the snow covered ground and growled. "Get out of here!"_

_"But-"_

_"GO! Before I force you too!" He threatened this by taking out one of his boomerangs. Jack gasped at the sight and scrambled around in the snow to pick up his staff, which had fallen when the Guardian of Hope had picked him up, and summoned the wind to take him away from there. He let the wind guide his flight as the sorrow and hopelessness over whelmed him. After everything that he had just gone through all he wanted was someone to help him but that was apparently too much to ask for._

_He crashed in the Arctic and curled up in a ball. The wind swirled around him in an attempt to comfort him but it was useless. Jack couldn't help but think about the other spirit. It seems there are so many other spirits out there that just see him as a nuisance, that all he did was make a mess wherever he went._

_Well fine then. He could show them just how he could hold his own without them. He could prove that they wouldn't dictate what he did. The Kangaroo certainly wasn't a threat and Jack wouldn't let him be. If that fur-ball didn't want to be friends fine, Jack will take any chance to mess with him now._

_He didn't need anyone, he could survive in his own._

_His memories shifted once again…_

* * *

Pitch grinned down at the unconscious spirit in his lair. It's been a few years since the boy had been captured by him and during that time he had watched as memory upon memory of the carelessness of the Guardians influenced the boy. There was so much of his abandonment and loneliness to use on him and it clearly took its toll on the boy whenever the Nightmare King woke him up to give him food and to taunt him.

The boy had no idea how much time had passed and he planned to keep it that way until the information was needed to break the boy. Though, it may be needed seeing as the child's cursed light wouldn't go out.

Also, during this time, Pitch had taken his time to try to find a way to unlock the child's locked away memories. He looked in every spell book and ancient scrolls he could find, but so far he has found nothing that he could unlock the memories with. He had even tried the Tooth Palace, only to find the fairy had nothing that could help him.

He was about to give up and nearly force his way into the boy's memory when an idea came to mind and soon he was off through his lair.


	26. Chapter 26

"Any sign of being able to catch them yet?" Bunny asked as he approached North, who was gazing at the globe, eyes searching for the pattered behind the movement of Pitch's lair.

"No, it is so random, even after all this time." North sighed out, rubbing a hand across his face, happy that this was a time that he could take a break from Christmas work. He was tired, they all were. It's been three years since Pitch had stuck and captured Jack. During this time, the four of them had done all they could to try and find the young spirit, even continuing now even when it seemed pointless. They even continued to build up believers for the kid.

But they were also still dedicated to their work, to making the children happy. They knew that that would be something Jack would wish for them to do, even with his wavering belief. Oh yes, they knew that Pitch was doing something during all this time, something that was making the poor boy lose his belief in them.

"Well find him North." Bunny said putting his hand on the other's shoulder.

"But it is so hard, especially with the fact that his belief has been weakened." North replied.

"I know North, but Tooth and Sandy are keep their eyes out and so are we when we are able to." Bunny looked him straight in the eye. "We'll find him and give Pitch what he deserves."

With a weary smile, North gave the other a nod before turning back to the globe. He caught sight of a light, slightly brighter in color then other, which flickered on and off in one place before it was gone the next second.

They were not giving up on their boy.

* * *

Jack moaned as he woke up from his forced sleep. His head throbbed from the millions of memories had has been forced to relive over and over, but he was use to this feeling every time Pitch woke him up. Speaking of the spirit, Jack opened his eyes to see the Nightmare King standing there.

"What is it now." Jack sighed out. "Planning on giving me what you believe is food?"

Pitch rolled his eyes. "Very funny but I have something different planned for today."

"Oh? Is it letting me stay up past my bedtime?" Jack asked, a weak attempt at a smirk on his lips.

"You think you're up for that challenge Jack? Even after all these years, you think you can stay up in my care?" Pitch shot back, and grinned at Jack's widened eyes.

"Years?" He whispered out.

Pitch grinned even wider. "Oh yes Frost. It's been years since you've been here and the Guardians haven't even tried to find you."

"I'm not in the mood for your mind games!" Jack growled but he couldn't deny that it had struck the old wound that had been opened from the memories.

"Don't believe me? I suppose you wouldn't, but what if you had proof?" Jack's anger faded to hesitant curiosity.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that, what if we struck a deal? I'll allow you to have enough contact with the outside world if you will go through with what I want you to do."

"How do I know you'll keep up your end of the deal?" Jack asked, his eyes watching the other's movements.

"You'll be allowed your share of the deal before you have to do mine." He replied but sighed when he still saw the boy hesitate. "Don't worry, what you have to do is nothing terrible. If anything, you'll be benefited from it more than me."

Jack scoffed. "I doubt that."

"We'll see." Pitch then proceeded to unchain Jack from the floor. "You'll have a few moments to do what you wish, but when I say you must stop, you will stop."

Jack rolled his eyes once more but nodded anyway. He rubbed his wrists as he followed Pitch out of the area he had been kept in. Jack let his eyes take in his surroundings as they moved through the lair, his eyes darting to the shadows whenever he heard something move or shuffle. The place, he notice, seemed to be situated beneath the ground if its rocky structure said anything and the chill in the air. They seemed to move across many twisted bridges and arches that were built in the cavern.

Pitch led them to an area where sunlight was streaming in from a crack in the cavern.

"There's where you can make your contact. I'd go now before your time is used up." Pitch instructed as he motioned to it.

Jack gave him an odd look before moving over to it. He noticed that there were small rock ledges that he could climb up to it with. Gripping a ledge, he began to climb and was shocked that the crack was large enough that he could fit his head through it if he wanted to.

The winter spirit relished in the fresh air before he remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

"Wind?" He called out. "Wind!?" He listened and suddenly a strong gust of air blew around him from the crack. He laughed, happy that someone missed him. He could tell that the wind was trying to pull him up into her arms, but it was useless without his staff.

"Wind, calm down, I can't go anywhere, I don't have my staff." He said sadly. The wind calmed down enough and blew softly around him now.

Jack relished in the moment before his smile dropped and he asked. "Wind, what…what year is it?"

The wind stilled for a few moments before responding. Jack's heart dropped at her words. 2015. It really has been three years, apparently nearing the same time he had been taken.

And the Guardians were nowhere to be seen.

Shaking his head, he was quick to calm the wind's worries at his sudden drastic drop in emotion before he was talking to her. "Wind, contact the Guardians, tell them where I am." He said to her, hoping that the Guardians would drop whatever useless search they were doing and find him in the right area.

"Times up." Pitch's voice rang from behind him and he was quickly yanked away from the opening and to the floor as he watched as it was sealed away. His heart ached for the open sky and freedom, and he could only hope he would be freed soon.

"Now, it's time for you to commit to your half, now that that is done." Pitch said as he stood before Jack, arms behind his back as he stared down at the spirit on the floor.

Jack huffed and stood up, dusting himself off before crossing his arms. "Yeah well, for me to do that I sort of have to know _what_ to do."

"I was going to get to that, Frost."

"Whatever."

"I've come to dislike your attitude."

"Deal with it."

"Should I cut out your tongue? Then you'll at least be silent."

Jack laughed. "You can try, but I can just be even more annoying, even without words."

"I doubt that."

"Is that a challenge?"

"I believe we're getting off the subject here." Pitch sighed as he began to circle Jack. "What I would like you to do, is unlock those memories of your head that you haven't been able to access."

"How did you-"

"I could see them attempting to form when you slept, but they're still locked deep inside your subconscious aren't they?" Pitch hummed. "I wonder why the fairy didn't share them with you."

"She didn't keep them from me, she simply couldn't unlock them, and so I doubt you can." Jack shot back.

Pitch ignored the shot at him and continued with his slimy words. "Oh yes, I'm sure she could access them, she just didn't, orders from MiM most likely. Don't you wonder why she hasn't done anything to help you get those memories back?"

Jack couldn't deny that inside they mattered to him, that he desperately wanted to know what they held, but he also couldn't believe Pitch's words. That Tooth would deliberately keep something from him. However, the doubts that had been cooked up from his memories didn't help matters and soon he was doubting the fairy's intentions.

"…So?" Jack finally found his voice. "That doesn't mean you can access them."

"Doesn't it?" Pitch hummed, stopping in front of the boy. "No, _I_ can't access them but _you_ can. With the right mindset, and help, you can force those memories to come to light."

"And how do I know you won't try to mess with my mind or give me a fake memory?" Jack questioned.

"I believe you'll be able to tell for yourself if it's your actual memory. Besides, I can't do much unless you already know the memory. I can't mess with the memory if you don't already have it."

Jack watched the other for a few more moments. He knew he shouldn't do it, but he wanted the memories and to be able to do so was something he didn't think he could pass up. Biting his lip he thought about the consequences and it didn't help that there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, but he decided to ignore them and looked Pitch in the eye.

"What do I do?" He asked.

Pitch smiled. "I will put you to sleep with my sand and from there you will dream a lucid dream, but it will be in your memories. From there, you will hopefully be able to force yourself to remember."

"Will this hurt or have any consequences I should know about? Have you even ever tried this?" Jack asked. "A disclaimer would be nice, or a warning?"

Pitch rolled his eyes. "I'm not amused by your efforts to be humorous Frost."

"That is all on you." Jack said with a shrug, desperately trying to fight off the nervous feeling he was feeling.

"Get on the floor frost, I'm not going to catch you should you go through with this standing up." Pitch explained as he got his sand ready.

"Ouch, not feeling the love." Jack replied as he sat down on the floor. "So is there going to be a count down or some sort of signal for when you're going to do-"

_Thump!_

Jack was out, knocked out on the floor.

"No," Pitch said to silent air as he grinned down at the unconscious boy. "Now all I have to do is wait for everything to play out before making my final move."

He looked at the light on the globe, the two having moved to the area of the lair where he kept the globe. Pitch walked over and smiled wickedly at the flickering light as it moved across the globe.

"Soon you will shine no more."


	27. Chapter 27

_Jack blinked his eyes open and found he was lying on his pond. He slowly began to push himself up onto his feet and he took in his surroundings trying to remember what had happened. As he watched what looked like ghostly versions of himself through different parts of his life pass by, he remembered the deal he had "struck" with Pitch. Now that he thought about it, he really never agreed to anything except for the part about going into his memories. Oh well, no going back now._

_He began to walk around his pond, trying to find the area where his human memories would be passing by. As he walked, he felt himself relive each memory he went through until finally he went back just enough to the part of where he could remember there was a block._

_He watched as his family sat before a fire, each taking warmth in the flames and each other. His father and mother were curled up behind him and his sister. It was peaceful. No one spoke, just relaxing in the air around their family._

_Then it happened. As he stared into the flames, they slowly began to grow and sounds of screams filled his ears. He swore he saw to silhouettes in the blazes but that was as far as it would go before it began to try and force him into the memory of his death._

_'_ NO! _' Jack thought as he forced himself back to the last memory, focusing on the fire. As he fought to go into the memory, he could feel his head throb at the force before finally, the barrier that kept him from the memory or memories was shattered and Jack was whisked away into the past._

* * *

_This time, Jack had no control over his body. He no longer had that control and lucidness he had been granted. Now he just had to go along with the actions of his past self._

_He watched as he and his father went to one of the buildings but what it was, Jack didn't recall. Everything seemed of little importance to the boy, who was pretty much the same age as Jack was as a spirit, as if he had been forced to come along with his father. However, everything changed when the place was suddenly filled with flames. Jack choked and coughed from the smoke._

_"Jack?!" He could hear his father cry out for him. Jack tried to find and follow that voice but he couldn't, the smoke and fire blinding his vision. "JACK?!" He heard his dad call once more. This time, the young brunette gathered what air he could and called back._

_"Dad?" He coughed out. He cried out when wood fell from above him, the old wooden building crumbling easily to the wicked flames._

_"Jack!" His dad called from besides him suddenly and he felt himself gripped by him on the arms. His watery and red eyes met those of his father's. "Oh, thank the lord I found yo-" He started to cough before continuing. "Come on, you need to…to get out of here."_

_Jack didn't protest as his father dragged his weakened body through the fire. He could hear screams of the other men who had been there with him and his dad. He could see his father and others attempting to help the men trapped beneath the rubble. He himself tried to help but his father told him not to and Jack couldn't protest against that. His chest hurt so much!_

_As he, his dad, and the other men who had been able to be rescued rushed for the door to the outside, the roof began to cave in. At the first crack, they had all frozen in shock before racing for the door, many of the men pushing the others out of the way. Jack stuck with his father as they raced through the collapsing building. They were only a few feet from the exit when the ceiling began to fall even faster. They tried to both make it through the small door when it was obvious only one would make it. Jack felt his father grab his arm and, before he could protest or even process it, he was being flung towards and outside of the burning building._

_Hacking and wheezing in the fresh air, jack turned just in time to watch the building crumble on top of his father, burying the man beneath piles of flaming rubble. He couldn't speak or move. He could only stared at the burning wood, not able to process anything around him. Everything just flooded out and soon everything blurred._

_He saw unfocused scenes of his mother and sister finding out about their father. He saw their tears and their sorrow. He watched his mother try to comfort him and in return he comforted his sister. He watched as the village doctor helped him get healthy after the fire and he saw the funeral they held for his father. He watched glimpses of nightmares he had and waking up at night with attempts to not wake up his family._

_When the memories finally focused once more, he found himself sitting next to his sister, the two of them looking out one of the windows._

_"Are you excited?" Jack asked his sister. "Christmas is in a few days."_

_"It won't be the same." She whispered, tears coming to her eyes. Jack's mood sobered at her response before he thought of something to reply with._

_"Hey, you know, its Santa's job to give you what you with for, and…even if we can't send out another letter he'll know what you want."_

_"Really?" She asked looked up at her brother with hopeful eyes._

_Jack bit his lip before replying. "Yeah, I mean, I'm not Santa but he's always gotten me what I wanted, so I don't see why not. And hey, we'll go out and play in the snow afterward ok?"_

_"Alright!" She said with a smile._

_Jack laughed. "Alright! Now, why don't you go to bed?"_

_"Ok!"_

_"Ok." Jack watched his sister go off to her room in their small house, his smile falling from his face. He turned to look outside once more and at the moon. He believed in the Man in the Moon and he hoped by speaking to him that a message would be sent to Father Christmas._

_"Look, I know that my dad can't..." He paused before taking a deep breath. "Can't be brought back but…can you please try with all that you have to make my sister happy? That's all I can ask for. So please, just…just make her happy." With that he went to bed._

_Within seconds Jack watched as Christmas day came along and saw that, when he and his sister opened their presents, his sister was not brought any joy. He watched as she was given simple things and she didn't smile throughout it all. Wonder did not shine in her eyes and Jack felt great disappointment in the Guardian and sorrow for his sister. He was given so ice skates and he told her that once he learned how to use them, he'd let her try. That at least brought a small smile to her face._

_He watched once more flickers of memories as the months passed by. He saw himself trying to keep his family well as well as keep his sister happy. Jack watched as he attempted to save money from what he got from the tooth fairy, but it was never enough._

_When the memory focused once more, Jack was watching his sister as she looked around for eggs from the Easter Bunny. The colorful eggs were hidden within the powdery snow from the fact that it was an early Easter, being that it was in the late march and there was still snow and ice that haven't melted yet._

_As his sister searched, Jack suddenly caught a figure dashing away in one of the bushes. Quickly, Jack believed it to be the Easter Bunny, he quickly rushed off to see it. Pushing branches and bushes out of his way, Jack saw a large gray figure dash around, letting colorful eggs hide in the bushes, leaves, and grass._

_"Hey! Mr. Bunny!" Jack called out to the spirit, making him jump. Jack watched in awe as the large rabbit turned its green eyes to him._

_"What are you doing kid?" Bunny asked with wide eyes, surprised he bothered to follow him._

_"I wanted to know if it was you." Jack replied after getting past his shock. "And now I see I was right!"_

_"Confident little ankle-bitter aren't you?" Bunny smirked. "Now go on, I have to get going and you shouldn't be out in the woods alone."_

_"Wait!" Jack tried to stop him. "Can't you came back and see my sister? She-"_

_"Sorry no can do."_

_"What?! But it'll only be-"_

_"I'm sorry kid but I can't. I have to go deliver other eggs and I can't waste that time letting you all awe at the sight of me. Alright?"_

_"But-"_

_"Sorry." Bunny said opening a hole in the ground. "Happy Easter kid." With that he was gone. Jack could only stare at the spot, shocked and disappointed at what just happened. After a few moments, he finally began to walk back to the field his sister had been searching for eggs in with the other kids._

_When he got there, she ran up to him. "Jack! Jack! Where did you go?"_

_"I-I thought I saw something in the woods." He replied._

_"Was it the Easter Bunny?!" She gasped, her eyes shining. Jack bit his lip before answering._

_"No, it was actually nothing. Sorry for worrying you." She seemed upset by his reply before suddenly jumping to show him all the eggs she found. While Jack nodded along, he couldn't help but think about the encounter he just had. He knew the Easter Bunny was real, but he didn't know how he felt about the encounter and the words shared and the disappointment on his sister's face._

_"Hey," Jack suddenly spoke up. "Tomorrow, why don't I take you ice skating?"_

_With that Jack was ripped from his memories and he woke up._


	28. Chapter 28

Jack woke up with a gasp, his head pounding and heart beating fiercely in his chest. He tried to calm down and gather himself back together as his head looked around. As his headache began to dull and his breathing slowed down, he was able to focus on his surroundings and found he was alone, lying on the ground where he had been knocked out on.

"Well, that seemed to be an exciting trip." Pitch's voice suddenly came from beside him, making Jack jump and Pitch laugh as he came to stand before the younger spirit.

"You know," Jack huffed. "You could have warned me before you knocked me out!"

Pitch laughed. "Now where would be the fun in that?" Jack was about to retort when Pitch continued. "I take it that the memories are not what you hoped? The Guardians hurting you even back then not settling well."

"I thought you said you couldn't see my memories?!" Jack growled at the other, glaring with icy eyes.

"I can't." Pitch drawled.

"Then how did you-"

"From your reaction when waking up as well as your new fear I can sense within you." Pitch replied cutting the other off. "Besides your mere response to my observation was enough evidence in itself."

Jack sat there, silent for a few moment before finding his voice. "What does it matter anyway? It was in the past."

"Oh but it does matter doesn't it!" Pitch grinned getting a glare from Jack. "Because it even followed you to this life! Think about it. The Fairy pretty much ignored you the entire time you were around, North didn't bother even visiting you even though you were on his list, the rabbit hated your very being, most likely still does, and Sanderson was just preserving your light!"

"He was my friend!"

"Then why did he never introduce you to the others in a way you could all become friends?" Pitch asked getting silence from Jack. "You see?! I wouldn't be surprised if MiM told him to befriend you to simply keep you light lit in some way or form."

Pitch could pretty much see the boy's belief in the Guardians failing as he sat there quietly.

"But, they got me believers." Jack spoke up. At first, Pitch was surprised at what comment, but he quickly thought of a way to twist it around on the winter spirit.

"They were most likely doing it so you would have power for when they could make you a Guardian. Now that they can't use you, they no doubt stopped doing that and let your current believer's lose their belief all together. They're not going to bother helping you if they can't use your power." Pitch said, his words sickening to Jack's ears but he couldn't help but find truth in them.

For all he knew, the Guardians were really just using him. Now that he was out of their reach and they had all their believers back, they didn't need him. Even if Pitch did attack again, there's no doubt that they're most likely prepare for it to happen once again.

"And where do you fall?" Jack asked, turning his gaze to Pitch. "You've tried to kill me, befriend me only to find I wouldn't give you power, and then kill me once more. Not only that but you've ignored me just as much as they have and now you tell me everything like this to make me lose my belief in them, which I could have done without your help." Pitch was shocked by Jack's end statement but otherwise shook it off to reply.

"I'll admit, I have not treated you any more kindly then past spirits have to you." Pitch relied staring Jack directly in the eye. "But that is why I'm not trying to befriend you or have you work with me. I'm merely supplying help that you will see the others for what they truly are and that they don't deserve your belief, nothing else. Though I must admit, capturing and keeping you here was extreme for such a case, plus forcing you to endure your memories, but I just had to make you see. And I will continue to keep you here until you see they do not deserve your belief."

Jack stared back in response to Pitch's words. They had not broken eye contact the entire time Pitch spoke and Jack could not find a reason to be mad at the other for.

"…How long has it been?" Jack finally spoke up after a moment of silence getting an odd look from Pitch. "How long has it been since I went in my memories?"

"Not that long. If I were to estimate, I'd say only an hour or so." Pitch said. Jack remained silent after the reply. He didn't know what to feel right now. If the Guardians were looking for him they should have been here by now, it shouldn't have taken so long. He had no doubt that the wind informed the Guardians, she wouldn't let up a chance to save him.

Jack never noticed Pitch quietly leave the room with a smile on his face. His mind was racing. Where were the Guardians? They promised they'd be there for him, that he was one of them. Was it all fake? A way to get him to trust them so they could turn him into a Guardian and use him? If he was Guardian, he'd have to believe, right? That way none of them would lose power. The more he began to think about it, the more it made sense. It would have been a reason for them to save his life when he had been stabbed. More sense than them suddenly caring about him. More sense than…than them suddenly becoming a family.

Jack slammed a fist on the ground in anger. "How could I have been so gullible!? I knew they didn't care but I let them get to me! I'm just another child for them to bribe and I fell for it! Well, no more!" He forced himself to his knees and, with a wobble, stood up.

"Fine, I'll get out of here myself." He hissed. "I don't need them, I don't need any of the Guardians to baby me! I was fine on my own!" His heart hurt at the new found facts that were coming to him, but he didn't let it get to him. He'd been hurt like this before in the past, when he was much more innocent and clueless.

Upon the globe the light flickered and faded, its dull color grasping to remain shinning as Jack searched the cave for his staff. He let his eye look through the shadows, attempting to find the wooden relic. He ran across the stone floors, jumping down the edges and cliffs until he finally found it tucked away in a dark corner. As he grabbed it, he waited to see if Pitch would stop him but it never happened.

Seeing that Pitch must not be aware of what he was doing, Jack gripped his staff tightly in his hands before he rushed about once more, looking for a place to escape. He went back to the place Pitch had allowed him to contact the wind, and pressed his hand against the covering. It was thin, not shadows but thin enough that Jack could break open. With a deep breath, he slammed the end of his staff onto it, watching as dirt gave way and began to fall. He did it a few more times before there was a hole big enough for him to climb through.

He heaved himself out of the hole and, as soon as that was done, called out to the wind. As soon as he did, the wind came rushing with joy.

 _'My snowflake!'_ It cried as it circled him making Jack laugh.

"Hey wind. It's good to see you too." Jack chuckled before swallowing. "Take me to the Pole, please wind?" He asked.

The wind seemed hesitant but other than that gave no protests as she swept the boy into her invisible arms. Jack almost cheered at the feeling of flying again, but he didn't. His mind focused on that little bit of hope that the Guardians would be looking.

He sighed as the cool air of the North Pole hit his skin, the cold feeling nice after all the time away from it. He saw the building in the distance and landed in one of the windows. Luckily, or not luckily, Jack landed in a window that showed him the Guardians. They were all sitting around in seats, smiling and speaking to each other. None of them glanced at the globe. He did take notice that they seemed to be tired but, he dismissed it on the idea it was them still trying to recuperate after the attacks three years ago.

He decided to hesitantly knock on one of the windows, but none of the Guardians seemed to have heard. He knocked louder and this time he could hear the response from North.

"It's probably just the wind still worrying about Jack." Then his voice dropped again out of ear so Jack couldn't hear what was being said. It wouldn't have really mattered much anyway, because Jack had jerked away from the window. They really didn't care. It hurt so much to truly see and hear.

"Fine." Jack muttered before flying away. As he said before, he didn't need them. He didn't need the Guardians.

On the globe, a light went out and all the Guardians felt it. A light from an immortal child was strong and when it finally went out, they all gasped from the feeling. They quickly rushed to the globe, searching for any trace of Jack's light, but it was gone.

Jack Frost no longer believed in them.


	29. Chapter 29

A year. It's been a year since he had lost his belief in the Guardians, four years since he's spoke to them and one since he has seen them. Ever since he lost his belief, Jack's avoided them, any trace of them. He no longer played with the dream sand that drifted through the sky at night, nor did he bother keeping a look out for the cloud of dream sand. He never payed attention to the fairies that zipped by at night and he never gave them the chance to see him as he remained hidden in the shadows. He didn't care if winter caused it to snow on Easter and didn't bother to stick around to see if the rabbit would try and seek him out. On Christmas, he didn't try to follow North or write his own letters. Jack just simply never wanted to deal with the Guardians ever again.

He performed his winter duties without struggle, surprised when Mother Nature never asked what had happened to him though he really shouldn't be _that_ surprised. There was an ache in his heart from where he had felt the kindness of another spirit, but it was ignored because it was now just another faded wound of betrayal.

The wind remained by his side, and for that he was grateful. However, the wind noticed he was always as cheerful as before, but the boy still had fun. And, as far as Jack knew, the Guardians were not even aware that he had been free from Pitch.

It would have stayed that way, Jack never daring to cross the Guardian's path, but that all fell apart one autumn day.

* * *

"I'm telling you North, I smelled him this way." Bunny stated as he led North in the direction he smelled Jack's sent.

"How do you know it is not like any other time?" North asked wearily. They lost much of their joy when Jack stopped believing, like the life had been sucked out of them. They continued on with their jobs but that didn't mean they forgot the boy, even with the short time they knew him in. During the time the boy was gone, Bunny claimed to smell the boy but it was so feint that it could have simply been the wind carrying the smell as a cruel punishment, and they took that seeing as they never saw the boy.

"Nah, it's too strong for that." Bunny protested as he hopped along. It was just the two of them seeing that if this was just a fluke, then the other two Guardians wouldn't lose time of their, mostly, twenty-four hour jobs. However, as they continued to draw closer to the area he smelled it at, the sent grew stronger and Bunny just knew this wasn't a fake.

He motioned for North to quiet and slow down as they were just mere steps from the sent. His ears swerved in that direction, looking for any sound that could help him and he heard soft breathing. Taking a quiet step forward, Bunny looked towards the sent and froze.

There, relaxing in a tree, was Jack Frost. One leg dangling off the branch and his staff across his stomach with one arm over it while the other was behind his head. He seemed to be daydreaming or something of the sort as he gazed up tiredly at the afternoon sky. He didn't seem to take any notice in them as they both came out of hiding.

"Jack?" North gasped out. The boy didn't react.

North took a step forward and winced when his boot come down and snapped a twig. This Jack did hear and jumped up in fright at the sound. His blue eyes flew to look towards them, wide with panic that quickly faded to confusion.

"Jack!" North called once again when he believed he had the boy's attention. "We are so happy to see you!"

"North-" Bunny spoke up, noticing something but he was cut off by Jack.

"Huh, odd." He spoke confusing the larger Guardian while the other's ears just drooped as he silently hoped this wasn't happening.

"Jack, what do you mean o-" North was cut off by said boy and his words made his heart fall.

"I thought there would be someone there." Jack muttered, his words a knife to their hearts. "Guess not."

"Jack?"

The wind swirled around Jack. "I don't know what you mean, Wind. I don't see anything. It's probably just nothing." Jack sighed before twirling his staff and jumping into the wind's grip. "Let's go, we shouldn't worry about it." With that he was gone.

The two Guardians stared in shock at the spot long after Jack had gone. They were frozen in sorrow and shock at what they had just witnessed. Jack…didn't see them.

"He…he couldn't see us." North choked out, breaking the tense silence.

"I hoped it hadn't been that when he looked in our direction." Bunny said. "I saw it in his eyes, the way he seemed to stare past us…but I didn't want to believe it."

"He really doesn't believe." North whispered in shock.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" They jumped at Jack's sudden voice behind them. They turned around to the see the winter spirit staring disinterested in their direction. "To be ignored and looked through."

"Jack-?" Bunny stopped when Jack raised his eyes to look into theirs, the blue eyes looking cold and bitter to them.

North suddenly began to move forward, ignoring Bunny's shout for him to wait. He moved to the younger spirit and opened his arms prepared to hug him. Jack flinched as he neared him and his arms began to close around him. Jack almost fled, but he didn't have to.

Three gasps were heard as North passed right through Jack.

As North gasped in pain, a large hand to his check, Jack stood there in shock before letting out a bitter laugh.

"Well would you look at that." He spat out with a bitter chuckle. "Talk about irony."

"Jack?" Bunny gasped out staring in shock. "What the bloody hell just happened!?"

Jack leaned on his staff and shrugged. He understood what happened and so did the others, they just didn't want to accept it. The fact North had gone through Jack was testament to his disbelief in them. Honestly, Jack hadn't expected to go through the Guardian, seeing as he could still hear and see the other and he's never had that problem in the past with other spirits.

"What are you doing here?" Jack sighed as he looked to both of the Guardians.

"What do you mean what are we doing here?! I think it's bloody obvious don't you?" Bunny exclaimed. Jack just raised an eyebrow in response.

"We're here for you!" North shouted with a weak smile and open arms in Jack's direction. Jack looked at him and his hard eyes softened for a moment before hardening once more.

"Right." Jack drawled. "Why?"

"Why? What do you mean why?" North asked his arms dropping and his face morphing to confusion. "We were looking for you so you could escape Pitch! It's been four years!"

"Three years." Jack spoke up making them freeze. "I escaped a year ago, no thanks to you."

"Look Frostbite, Pitch may have showed you some things but none of them are tru-"

"Pitch didn't do anything other than show me my memories." Jack snapped, cutting Bunny off. "And before you object, I know they were my _actual_ memories, there were no tricks involved."

"You believe that ratbag over us?!"

"I didn't say that." Jack growled back. "I said I saw my memories! I don't believe Pitch's words I believe what I saw. You can definitely count on the fact I _don't_ believe you."

"So this is the thanks we get for looking for you all these years?" Jack gave a scoff in reply making Bunny growl. "What now?!"

"You obviously weren't looking that well for me."

"Why you litt-"

"Stop!" North blew making the two quiet down. He turned to Bunny saying, "Getting angry won't solve anything." Then he turned to Jack. "Come with us to the Pole. I'll call Tooth and Sandy and we can clear up everything there."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Thanks but no thanks. I'm fine with not being dragged into whatever trap you have waiting."

"There is no trap." North protested. "Please, Jack."

Jack swallowed as he watched the two before him plead for him to go with them. He could, he almost did go with them. But he froze. He didn't know if he could trust them to have a simple talk.

North had moved forward once more and a hand reached out and hovered over the winter spirit's shoulder. For a few moments, it stayed like that but then North lowered his hand and it came to rest on his shoulder, not going through it.

But it was only there for a split second as Jack decided he didn't want to risk going with them and being chained there as a power source. He decided he would flee as he said. "As I said, thanks but no thanks."

North's hand went through his shoulder.

The two Guardians just stared as Jack called to the wind and began to take off. However, Bunny had enough of looking for the boy and growled.

"Oh no you don't!" He leapt and tried to grab Jack only to fall through him. Jack froze in the air at the action, not prepare for the Guardian to do such a thing even after he knew what would happen.

This proved to be an effective way of distracting Jack long enough for Bunny to take out a boomerang and throw it at the winter spirit.

Jack yelped as the weapon smacked into his staff, ripping it from his grip. He tried to grab it but it was too far out of reach and Jack slammed onto the ground a few feet from where he had been flying. The two Guardians could only be thankful Jack wasn't too far from the ground and that when he fell it was not as hard as it could have been.

Bunny quickly ran and seized Jack's staff as the other got his breath back. When Jack pushed himself to his hands and knees, he glared at Bunny.

"Why did you do that?!" He growled. "I wasn't doing anything!"

"No, you weren't, but you also weren't agreeing to talk with us."

"I don't want to!"

"Why?"

"If this is your attempt to be friends, then it is really stupid." Jack stated, not answering Bunny's question as he stood up.

"While I don't agree with Bunny's methods, I agree we have to talk." North spoke up. "Please, come with us to the Pole."

"No." Jack hissed back. "I don't want to! You can't make me!'

"You want to bet?" Bunny asked raising a brow.

"As if you can." Jack snipped back. "You can't even touch me! so how are you going to keep me with you."

"We have your stick."

Jack frowned at the Guardian of Hope's words. "First of all, it's a staff. Secondly, so what?"

"I know that, simply from watching you, you'd never leave it behind." Bunny smirked when he saw Jack swallow and create fists with his hands. "So if we took it with us to the Pole, you'd be inclined to follow just to get it back."

Jack grit his teeth. "And how do you know I won't just freeze you right now and take my staff back?"

"I know this cause I know you enough to know you won't." Bunny stated confidently.

Jack clenched his fists tighter as he felt the wind circle him, but not able to lift him without his staff. He was backed into a corner right now and he could hear the wind was asking him to go with the Guardians, even if he didn't know why.

With a sigh, Jack turned to look the two Guardians in the eyes.

"Fine, I'll go with you." His words made North smile and Bunny smirk.

"I have fast way." North said as he took out a snowglobe and whispered his destination before letting it smash. He stepped through, followed by Jack who was forced to go through second, and then Bunny who still held the winter spirit's staff.

Once they were in the Pole, Jack could feel the eyes of the yetis on him as North went to called the other Guardians. He looked back to Bunny and sighed when he saw his staff still him his hands.

This was just great.


	30. Chapter 30

Jack sighed as he listened to North scurry about while he and the two Guardians waited for Sandy and Tooth to arrive. The winter spirit kept his gaze to the floor with his hood up and hands in his pocket as he sat on one of the couches in the room they were waiting in. He could feel Bunny's eyes watching him from across the room as he leaned near the windows with Jack's staff.

Jack didn't want to be here. He was content with _not_ having to face the Guardians but really, deep, deep down inside he knew he would come across them whether he wanted to or not. He sighed and glanced in Bunny's direction, quietly grumbling about him and the way he was holding his staff.

Suddenly a window opened and he almost didn't have enough time to jump away as a colorful blur came flying toward him.

"Jack! You're alright!" Jack moved away from her and watched as Bunny grabbed her shoulder, holding her back. She gave a confused look to Bunny who only shook his head before she turned to Jack. "Jack?"

Jack didn't reply, silently watching as Sandy joined the other Guardians. They were all here now, pretty much surrounding him, and he didn't have his staff. Jack shifted as an uncomfortable feeling set in and he tried to avoid looking in their direction.

"Oh, Sweet Tooth," Jack fought not to flinch at the words. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, you know…" Jack waved his hand through the air as he swallowed thickly. "…around."

"Apparently, Frostbite has been free from Pitch for a year now." Bunny spoke up getting a glare from Jack.

"What?! Why didn't you seek us out? We were so worried!" Jack rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, 'cause it certainly seemed that way when you dismissed the 'wind' a year ago." He snapped before regaining his composure. He saw their confused looks so he elaborated. "It happened a year ago, you all sat in one of the rooms here and dismissed the sound of me knocking as the wind worrying."

North's eyes widened. "No, Jack! You miss understand! When I said that, I was speaking about how the wind was constantly getting us when we could never catch you! We needed time to rest and think, and at the time we thought the wind had found your location for a second."

"What do you mean for a second?"

"Jack, Pitch was using a spell to make his hideout change places at random with no discernable pattern. Even if we saw where you were, you were gone before we could reach you, even with a snowglobe." North explained, his soft blue eyes watching as Jack seemed to think over this as he lowered his head to avoid looking at them.

Jack could feel something rising in him at the revelation that they were not dismissing the idea of rescuing him but he didn't want to trust them, he couldn't. So he pushed down whatever feeling that was and instead turned to anger to keep them from finding anything out.

"Alright then what about my family?" He snapped making the Guardians flinch at his sudden hostility. "What about my sister?! When all you could have done was make her happy but you never did!" He snapped. North and Bunny were confused but Tooth instantly understood what he was talking about without needing to see any proof. She knew he hadn't gotten all his memories that day she helped him, he had told her what he had seen to the extent she could help him cope with them right there.

"Oh Jack." Tooth whispered in shock as her hands came up to her mouth. "We never meant to hurt her or you or your family if we did in the past. Whatever it had been, I'm sure we had tried to do what we could but even we can't help all children with everything." She attempted to put her hand on Jack's shoulder when she flew up to him but Jack shook his head and backed away just as her hand went through him. She let out another gasp at that.

"So this is the thanks we get for not only spending our time trying to find you but also keeping your believers up." Bunny huffed with a shake of his head, but he couldn't help the sharp pain in his heart at seeing Tooth go through Jack.

His words, however, made Jack freeze. "You…what?" He was shocked at this. Sure, before he could have believed they had done such a thing to make him more powerful but to continue to do so after he seemed to be a lost cause? Wouldn't he have noticed if children could see him?

"Yeah," Bunny answered. "You don't have many right now, a lot of them not able to hold that belief when there was such little snow for those winters you were gone for, but otherwise we got some to continue. The most shocking being one in a town called Burgess, the first kid we got to believe in you. He's still going strong."

Jack was shocked at those words. He remembered the moment Jamie saw him, the joy he felt. To think the Guardians had done that out of the kindness of their hearts was overwhelming, but he couldn't escape it. He was still surrounded and Bunny still had his staff, which he didn't even know if he could grab it.

"Please, Jack." Tooth pled to him. "We aren't aiming to hurt you."

Honestly, he didn't think he could keep up the act much longer, not with that-that feeling! The only reason he was acting this way, avoiding them all for as long as he did was not only because of bitterness from his revelations in his memories but also…fear. Not Pitch, that much he was sure of, but simply fear that everything that was spoken of during his captivity was true. It's not like he had found any proof it not being true. So he avoided them so he wouldn't have to face the, most likely true in his distrustful mind, end of his time with them. He didn't want to face the rejection so he took matters into his own hands. Its why he had reacted so harshly, he used that as a shield to keep them from seeing this fear.

But now, not there was that feeling. That feeling of hope crawling up into his chest. He didn't want to give in to it, he was fine without it, but that didn't mean he could stop it. He noticed Bunny out of the corner of his eye and saw his ears seeming start to drop and his eyes flash with sorrow. Jack had no doubt that the other could feel how he was trying to get rid of the hope.

And oh how he wanted to give into it. How he desperately wanted to simply trust the Guardians, but he couldn't. He was too scared to. His breath sped up as he was unable to keep that fear and hurt under wraps anymore. He was going to blow it and without his staff in his hand helping him balance out his power…this was all just a big mess. He waited, waited for his powers to lash out without a way of direction, even with the connection he could still feel with his staff. He waited and waited, and then…

Then there were hands on his shoulders.

They didn't slip through his body, didn't turn to air before he could feel them touch. Solid, small hands were touching his shoulders with a soft yet hard grip, pulling him out of his worries.

Jack opened his eyes, not knowing when they had closed, and turned his wide, watery gaze onto the spirit before him. The soft, golden glow around the other gave an air of calmness and Jack used all the strength he had not to break down as his eyes met the kind and understanding ones of the other. For a moment, Jack thought back to when he had believed Sandy was gone forever and then to be reunited with him.

Here he was again, saving Jack from himself.

Jack opened his mouth but he couldn't get words past the lump in his throat. His eyes went over Sandy's shoulder and to the other Guardians who were watching with shock and relief. Their eyes went to Jack and, once again, understanding could be seen in the gazes.

This was all too much but he was forced to go through with it all.

Once he found his voice, Jack took everything not to fall apart right there. "I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…and…and…"

They watched him with soft eyes and that feeling of hope was able to spark just enough to glow softly with his next words.

"Thank you."


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter! It was fun to write and I hope you all enjoyed this!

"Jack!"

Said spirit laughed as he was tackled by the young boy. The first time he had visited Burgess when he was free from Pitch, he had been surprised to find that Jamie still believed in him, the kid having spotted him when he was in the town near his house and practically jumped out the window to see him. And not only him, but there were quite a few more kids that had joined in believing in him. The young boy had bombarded him with questions as to why he hadn't returned for so long. Not wanting to scar the kid, even if he was nearly fourteen, Jack explained he had been caught up in something big.

Now, Jack made sure to greet the kid every time he was in Burgess.

"Hey kiddo." Jack chuckled, ruffling the other's hair.

"Do you know if you can stay around longer then last time?" Jamie asked. Over the past years, Jack had taken to visiting Jamie as much as he could before the Northern Hemisphere's temperature shifted towards the summer heat, thus limiting the time he could spend in Burgess. He would give a quick hello if he could when passing over but he could never stay too long.

"We'll have to see." Jack said with a smile and a shrug. "Now come on, let's go have some fun." Jamie laughed and nodded in reply.

They ran around and Jack added in his two cents with his powers every so often, still able to use his snow and ice abilities without messing with the weather too much. It wasn't until a half an hour in that Jack decided to hang out on the sidelines in the shade of the trees.

The shadows began to shift beside him but he didn't even flinch as he called out to the spirit.

"Pitch." He addressed the spirit without looking at him.

"Not even a flinch, Frost?" Pitch asked, looking at the younger spirit.

"Oh, come on." Jack said smirking. "You know I'm not afraid of you."

"No, but the children would be." He replied. "How do you know I'm not planning to do anything?"

Jack looked at him before giving a chuckle, leaning on his staff. "Because you would have done it already. I've discovered you're not one to stall unless it's part of your master plan that would ultimately fail."

"My plans do not always fail."

"Sure they don't." Jack laughed at Pitch's glare.

Pitch took a deep breath before turning to look at the children playing. "So you've decided to go back to the Guardians despite everything."

"Hey I took a year break after everything you did." Jack objected before humming. "Besides, wasn't it one of your 'master plans' to keep me from going back to them?"

Pitch glared. "So you have gone back to them."

Jack shrugged. "Eh," He shook his hand in a 'so-so' gesture. "It's being worked out."

"And have you decided to join their little group?" He motioned to the children again. "You seem to be keeping an eye on them."

"I have always looked out for the kids. It's the reason me and you would have never worked out."

"Very funny Frost."

"That and the whole, let's kill you thing."

"You can't let that go?"

"It's debatable."

"And the Guardians?" Pitch raised an eyebrow as he asked this.

"I don't need to be a part of their group to watch the kids."

"Yet."

"Maybe." Jack said shrugging his shoulders. He couldn't say he hasn't thought about it but there was still a great amount of hesitance. What made him think about it was when he realized what his center was. He had brought some fun to a group of kids and his mind had flashed to the conversation between North and him. But, even realizing what he could bring to the kids didn't change the tensions that still existed between him and the Guardians despite their efforts currently to patch things up. For right now, it wasn't something worth doing.

Jack let out a sigh before turning to face Pitch. "Though, I do have to thank you."

"Thank me? For what? Scaring you? Oh no that was my pleasure." Jack sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Again not afraid of you." Jack replied before running as hand through his hair and letting out another sigh. "No, I wanted to say, thanks for helping me remember those parts of my past."

"Really? Despite the fact it helped take away your belief in the Guardians?"

"Yeah, I mean…I wanted to know my past, and you helped with that despite the intentions. So…thanks." He held out a hand to Pitch for him to shake.

Pitch looked at him skeptically before reaching out and grasping his hand, giving a firm handshake. "It was my pleasure, however, never mention this to anyone."

Jack took his hand back and laughed. "Trust me, I won't unless I need to blackmail you."

"Frost!"

Jack laughed, "I'm joking! Jeez! So, I guess I'll see you around!" With that he dashed back to the kids and it wasn't until he was gone did Pitch realize that he had been able to shake Jack's hand. Despite the boy not fearing him, he had been tangible.

Placing a hand to his chest, Pitch faded into the shadows, his gold eyes watching the winter spirit with curiosity.

* * *

The days passed as Jack slowly got used to having the Guardians around. Things were being slowly patched up between them accompanied by many awkward moments. And, of course, out of the four there was those who he was able to grow comfortable more easily than the others. But, he couldn't deny they were getting better and not just for him. They started to connect with the children of the world more, letting their centers truly make a difference.

As for Jack, well, he was shocked by how much time he actually ended up spending with them. For the beginning part he kept his distance still but there were times that, if he passed or flew by one of them, he would give a quick hello. The Guardians would invite him over to talk or for parties, and the tensions are slowly, very slowly, fading.

Along with that, Jack has ended up joining the Guardians on more than one of their missions of dealing with spirits that threatened the children. At first, he didn't even know until he found out and would be rushing off to join the battle. Just because he wasn't a Guardian himself didn't make his need to save the children any less. So they started inviting Jack to join them and he found that they looked out for him as much as he looked out after them.

It was nice.

So that's how he got here, sitting on the roof of the North Pole and trying to come up with a conclusion. Over the years that he has now spent with the Guardians, he would happily admit he enjoyed their company and that the thought of becoming one of them didn't sound so…silly anymore. He thought that if being able to protect the children and stick with the others came with the deal then it might actually be worth it.

Nodding to himself, he called out to the wind to drop him into the Pole through one of the windows. The Yetis and elves jumped at his sudden entrance but Jack just gave a smile to them as he landed on the floor.

"Hey Phil?" He called out, seeing the Yeti that had always kept him out of the Pole until the whole start of this. "Do you know where I can find North?"

The Yeti nodded and let out a few grunting noises before pointing down one of the halls. Jack looked towards it and grinned, knowing what was down that way.

"So he's in his workshop?" He asked to be sure. Phil gave a grunt and nodded. "Thanks!"

With that he was off, racing down the halls as quickly as he could before coming before the large doors. It was there he stopped and hesitated. Was this really what he wanted? Was the offer even still open?

No, he knew this is what he wanted to do. Taking a deep breath he raised his hand to knock on the door. North's voice came from within, shouting his invitation to enter. Opening the door, Jack slipped into the room with a smile.

"Ah! Jack Frost!" North called with a smile, standing up to greet the other with a suffocating hug. "What can I do for you?"

"Hey North." Jack gasped out as he was let go. He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, reverting his gaze to the floor as he addressed the other. "So, I've been…thinking and…I want to know if the offer is still, you know,…open?"

North blinked at him. "Offer?"

Jack swallowed. "You know, about…about becoming a Guardian."

At first North just stared at him and Jack wondered if maybe this was too soon or that the offer wasn't up anymore, despite the fact he had been chosen. However all his thoughts ceased when a wide smile broke out on North's face and he brought Jack into another bone breaking hug.

"Of course it is Jack!" He exclaimed, squeezing the boy tightly.

"Ack! North! I need to breathe!" Jack gasped out, slapping the older spirit to get his attention. North just laughed and let the boy go, slapping him on the back.

"Come! We must call others!" He began ushering Jack out of the room and down towards the globe room.

"So," The larger spirit asked turning to look at Jack with a grin. "Your center?"

Jack gave a smirk back. "It took a while, longer then I liked, but I figured it out."

"Wonderful!" North cried, eyes shining. Once they reached the globe room, North sent out the Northern Lights to summon the others. They each came, one by one, as quickly as they could.

"North?! What's wrong!? Is it Pitch?!" Tooth exclaimed, flying up to the other Guardian.

"No, no nothing like that." He said waving his hand in the air.

Sandy created a question mark over his head at the same time Bunny asked. "Well, what is it then? What is so important you have to call us so urgently?"

"It is Jack!" North shouted with a wide grin. However, before he could say more, Tooth was flying up to the winter spirit who flinched back at the sudden motion in front of him.

"What is it? Did you get hurt? Is something wrong? Are your teeth alright!?" She exclaimed, flying around the poor boy, trying to look at his teeth.

"Tooth, stop! I'm fine!" Jack chuckled trying to get away.

"Then what is it?"

"Jack has decided to become a Guardian!" North shouted with joy backing the others gasp and Sandy start clapping.

"Really! Oh that's wonderful!" Tooth cried sweeping Jack up in another hug. When he was let go he found Sandy giving him a thumbs up and Bunny patting his shoulder.

"I'm glad Frostbite." He grinned at the nickname.

"Thanks Cottontail." Jack replied and got an eye roll in return making him laugh.

A loud cough got their attention and they found North holding a large book, the Book of the Guardians. The other three grinned before going to the Guardian of Wonder's side, each of them smiling at Jack encouragingly.

Clearing his throat, North began. "Will you, Jack Frost, vow to watch over the children of the world? To guard them with your life, their hopes and wishes and their dreams, for they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be."

Jack gave a smile. His next words would declare him a Guardian and he couldn't be happier. After years of fear, avoidance, denial, struggling, and more of all loneliness, he was finally becoming part of a group, a family.

As for the Guardians, it meant they could finally call Jack their child once again. They could be a happy family.

So, with a smile at the group before him, Jack took a breath and answered.

"I will."


End file.
